Four Words Which Sum Up Seattle Kraken Playoff Push

Get prepared for a two-month hockey version of "Fast and Furious." The NHL officially calls it the Wild Card playoff race.

Seattle Kraken All-Star Oliver Bjorkstrand succinctly summed upwhat his team needs to win one of two Western Conference slots. "Work our butts off," he told CBC.ca . "There's other teams playing good hockey, so, yeah, we got to win games."

Never Tell Me The Odds... Okay, Tell Me

On the surface, The Athletic hockey analytics writer Dom Luszczyszyn doesn't seem bullish on the Kraken. He pegs Seattle's post-season probability at 24%, in the category "Unlikely."

"The key for the Kraken lies in net. Joey Daccord has been remarkable this season since being thrust into the starter’s net, and that has given Seattle a real shot to make it after a tough start. As long as he does that, it’s up to the team’s forward depth to recapture some of last season’s magic.

"Seattle controls play well and does a good job limiting chances. By expected goals, the team has actually improved on last year - they just need to finish their chances."

This isn't as dire as it sounds because Luszczyszyn predicts the number eight seed in the West - the playoff cutoff - will need only 89 points, fewer than in most seasons.

Also, the team predicted to grab that #8 spot, the Nashville Predators, have a 35% post-season probability. That's not significantly ahead of the Kraken. Seattle is given better odds in The Athletic model than all other contenders: Calgary (21%), Minnesota (17%), St. Louis (12%) and Arizona (7%).

Kraken Could Face Nearby Foe In Postseason

SportsGrid.com , meanwhile , appears to be overly optimistic about the Kraken's chances.

"We’re predicting an upset among the wild card teams. As it stands, the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues occupy those spots, but the Seattle Kraken could cause a tsunami in the standings. The Kraken are 11-5-1 since December 20, making up a lot of ground on teams they are chasing."

What's more, the site has actually projected Seattle's first round playoff matchup, against the surging Vancouver Canucks. Now THAT would ramp up the Pacific Northwest hockey rivalry.

Another intrigue of this prediction is that it creates a titanic first-round clash between the Edmonton Oilers and the team which just snapped the Oilers' 16-game winning streak, the defending Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.