The Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken don’t have much history between them. In fact, the Avalanche have only played the NHL’s most recent expansion team 11 times.
Please note that the Utah Hockey Club is the league’s newest team, but they’re not technically an expansion team.
Anyhow, the Avs and Kraken will meet on Sunday night at Ball Arena. So, it’s worth looking at the history between the two teams. Well, at least the short history between the two clubs.
History between Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken
All-time numbers between Avalanche and Kraken
The Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken have meet 11 times since the Kraken’s inception in 2021. The Avs lead the all-time series 7-4, according to Statmuse.
The Avalanche have won the last three meetings 5-1, 3-2, and 6-3. The last game was on November 5 of this year, a game in which the Avalanche flexed their muscles by scoring three power play goals. The Avs outshot the Kraken 32-20, while essentially making the Kraken hunt the puck all game long.
The Avs have outscored the Kraken 39-27 all-time, registering eight power play tallies in 34 chances for a 23.5% rate. The Avs have also given up seven power play tallies on 33 chances for a 78.8% penalty kill rate. Interestingly enough, the Kraken have slightly outshot the Avalanche all-time 309-307.
Beyond this season’s 6-3 contest, the only other game between the Avalanche and Kraken which could be considered a blowout was their inaugural meeting on November 19, 2021. That night, the Avalanche won 7-3 on the strength of two goals from Cale Makar and Andre Burakovsky.
In that matchup, the Avalanche had a 7-0 lead at one point before the Kraken got three goals late in the third period. Nathan MacKinnon did not play in that game, with Darcy Kuemper making 25 saves for the win.
A lot riding on Sunday night’s Colorado Avalanche-Seattle Kraken game
There’s a lot riding on Sunday night’s game for both sides. The Avalanche are looking to close in on the Minnesota Wild for second place in the Central Division. A win would pull the Avalanche to within two points of the Wild. The Wild lost their game on Saturday night against the Winnipeg Jets 5-0.
The Avalanche have shaken off their early season funk and will be looking to solidify their position in the Central Division. With the Dallas Stars struggling a bit of late, there’s a real possibility for the Avalanche to pull away and have a firm hold on third place.
As for the Kraken, they are falling behind in the Pacific Division. They are seven points back of the Calgary Flames for fifth spot in the Pacific Division. Another loss could sink the Kraken well out of contention at the Christmas break. While seven points may not sound like a lot, making that ground up could prove extremely challenging for Seattle.
So, expected a spirited contest as both teams have a lot to play for, albeit for different reasons.