Seattle Kraken Detroit Red Wings game preview: key matchups, projected lines and playoff stakes

The 2024-25 NHL season has already served up a handful of surprises, and Monday night’s clash between the Seattle Kraken and Detroit Red Wings (Little Caesars Arena, 7:30 p.m. ET) has the makings of another thriller. Both clubs arrive at the quarter-mark of the schedule hovering around the Western Conference wild-card cut line, meaning every point feels like double. Seattle is 10-8-4 and riding a three-game point streak, while Detroit sits 11-9-2 after splitting a home-and-home with Toronto last week. With special-teams units trending in opposite directions and a pair of Vezina-caliber goalies likely to duel, this Seattle Kraken Detroit Red Wings game preview dives into the numbers, the narratives and the lineup decisions that could swing the result.

Team form and what the standings say ahead of Seattle Kraken Detroit Red Wings game preview

The Kraken’s underlying metrics finally match the eye test. Since November 1 they rank fourth in the league in expected-goals share at 55.3 percent, according to Natural Stat Trick, and their 5-on-5 shot attempt differential is plus-52 over the last eight outings. The biggest change? Health. Jared McCann missed seven October contests; his return has re-balanced coach Dave Hakstol’s top nine and re-ignited a power play that clicked at 29 percent during the recent road trip.

Detroit, meanwhile, has banked points in six of its last eight but has been out-shot in five straight. The Wings’ 2.86 goals-against average is middle of the pack, yet only Anaheim and Chicago allow more high-danger chances per 60. If you’re looking for a silver lining, it’s that Dylan Larkin’s line has dominated territorially, posting a 57 percent Corsi when on the ice together. The captain told reporters after Saturday’s skate, “We know we can’t keep relying on goaltending to bail us out; the next step is 60-minute consistency.” That quote could double as the game’s central storyline.

Projected lineups and injury notes for Seattle Kraken Detroit Red Wings game preview

Seattle forward lines (via morning skate):

• Schwartz-Beniers-Bjorkstrand
• McCann-Wennberg-Eberle
• Tolvanen-Gourdon-Donskoi
• Tanev-True-Geekie

Defensive pairs:

• Dunn-Larsson
• Oleksiak-Borgen
• Soucy-Fleury

Injury report:
Brandon Tanev was a full participant Sunday and is expected to draw in after missing two games with a lower-body issue. Rookie defenseman Ryker Evans was sent to AHL Coachella Valley for a conditioning stint, so Jamie Oleksiak slides back to the left side he prefers.

Detroit forward lines (via morning skate):

• Raymond-Larkin-DeBrincat
• Fabbri-Kasper-Perron
• Compher-Rasmussen-Fischer
• Soderblom-Veleno-Sprong

Defensive pairs:

• Walman-Seider
• Maatta-Petry
• Chiarot-Hronek

Injury report:
Joe Veleno returns from a three-game suspension, giving Derek Lalonde the option to roll four lines that average 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. Goalie Ville Husso was first off the ice, indicating he’ll get the nod over Alex Lyon after back-to-back wins.

Key tactical battles that will decide Seattle Kraken Detroit Red Wings game preview

1. Special teams tug-of-war
   Seattle’s power play has climbed to 24.1 percent (7th), converting at least once in five straight. Detroit’s penalty kill has slipped to 76.8 percent (24th) and surrendered two goals in each of its last two home games. On the flip side, the Wings’ man-advantage is clicking at 26.3 percent when Larkin and DeBrincat share the ice, while the Kraken’s shorthanded group is 30-for-32 over the past month. Whichever team can flip that script is likely to leave with two points.

2. Goaltending pedigree
   Joey Daccord owns a .926 save percentage in his last seven starts and is 4-0-1 at Little Caesars Arena since Seattle entered the league. Husso answered critics with a 39-save shutout versus Buffalo last Tuesday; his rebound control will be tested by a Kraken forecheck that generates more slot shots than any Pacific Division foe. Track the first-period shot clock—Seattle averages 13.4 opening-frame attempts, and Husso’s career first-period SV% (.903) is his worst by period.

3. Matchup to watch: Beniers vs. Larkin
   The 2023 Calder Trophy winner has rounded into form (4G-7A in 10 games), and Hakstol has opted for a power-vs-power deployment, starting Beniers’ line in the offensive zone 58 percent of the time. Larkin sees the toughest competition nightly and still owns a 54 percent face-off rate. If Detroit can force Beniers to defend, it nullates Seattle’s transition speed; if Beniers gets last change, expect the Kraken to isolate Seidel-Petry with speed through the neutral zone.

Historical context and betting angles inside Seattle Kraken Detroit Red Wings game preview

Monday marks the fourth all-time meeting and the first since last February’s 5-4 overtime classic in which McCann scored a hat trick. The total has gone over 6.5 in each of the previous three encounters, and books opened this one at 6.5 (-115 over) before sharp money nudged the number to 7. For player prop hunters, Eberle has a goal in four straight against Original Six clubs, while DeBrincat averages 4.2 shots per game when Detroit is at home. Keep an eye on the alternate market for Seattle team total over 3.5 at plus money—Detroit has allowed four or more in five of its last seven.

What the result means for the playoff picture after Seattle Kraken Detroit Red Wings game preview

Both franchises targeted 95 points as the postseason bar when camps opened in September. The Kraken enter play four points behind Vegas for third in the Pacific but with three games in hand; Detroit is tied with St. Louis at 24 points yet has played two fewer contests than the Blues. A regulation win either way is worth the standard two points, but the “four-point swing” feeling is real because each club is chasing a different wild-card rival. From an NHL playoff race perspective, the loser could tumble outside the top eight by Thanksgiving, the unofficial quarter-pole that historically identifies 80 percent of eventual qualifiers.

Final thoughts and forward-looking note for Seattle Kraken Detroit Red Wings game preview

Expect a tight-checking first period as both coaches feel each other out, followed by a special-teams shootout in the middle frame. Seattle’s improved depth gives it a slight edge 5-on-5, yet Detroit’s star power and home-ice last change can tilt the ice if Larkin’s line finds a rhythm. Whichever goalie blinks first is likely to watch his counterpart skate away with the hero label—and perhaps the early-season inside track on a wild-card berth. Puck drops at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and Bally Sports Detroit; if the past is any indication, clear your calendar for overtime.