Seattle Kraken vs. Winnipeg Jets Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 5/1/2022

by Chuck Sommers

Sunday, May 01, 2022
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Venue: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg, MB
Where to watch: TSN3, ROOT-NW+

Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks


DraftKings: Jets -190, Kraken +155
BetMGM: Jets -190, Kraken +155
Caesars: Jets -179, Kraken +155

Season record
Kraken: 27-48-6
Jets: 38-32-11 

Ben Burns has reeled off a strong 24-13-0 run over the last month in the NHL. The last week of the NHL season is here before we get cracking to playoff coverage. The postseason is here, the matchups are set, and you can count on our coverage for all the playoff matchups starting this weekend. Who's going to win the Cup? You need to be tuned in here to find out all the expert analysis. Catch Ben's plays available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers.

Kraken - Jets preview and analysis


The final game of the regular season is a make-up game that thankfully doesn’t have playoff implications for anyone. Can you imagine if the Winnipeg Jets were a point back of the Nashville Predators for the last wild-card spot and had to win this game to get in? I sort of wish that to be the case for chaos purposes.

But the Winnipeg Jets and Seattle Kraken will face off in the final regular season game of 2022 as a makeup game due to inclement weather that prevented Seattle from making the trip a couple of months ago. Once this game is over, everyone can get ready for the playoffs.

The Kraken are coming off their home finale on Friday, a 3-0 win against the San Jose Sharks in the first ever clean slate at Climate Pledge Arena for the hometown team. Chris Driedger made 24 saves for the honorable distinction, and Yanni Gourde scored his 21st goal of the season to take the season series over the Sharks, 3-1-0.

"I thought it was super loud," Gourde said. "The cheering in tonight's game, it was amazing, the energy in the building and after was phenomenal. They've been great to us the whole season and we really appreciate the support. Even for some times when it was tough and some tough losses. … they stuck with it and they stuck with us, and they were amazing tonight again."

The Kraken have not had the ideal season that the Vegas Golden Knights had, but it’s been a memorable return to the NHL for the city of Seattle. There’s a lot to be excited for, like a bunch of draft picks, and some cap space that could prove beneficial down the road. There’s also Matty Beniers, who had an assist to pad his home point streak to five games and a point an eight of his first nine NHL games.

"Coming out in this building going crazy like it was, was pretty special," Driedger said. "To send it off at home, to finish off the year [with a shutout] is pretty cool too. So, they'll remember this one … guys were patient with shot blocks and just let me see the puck."

But with the Kraken putting the stamp on the home slate, which honestly is a profitable excuse to use up every bit of energy to close the season strong. The Jets, meanwhile, are coming in on a three-game winning streak after defeating the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Friday night behind 32 saves from Connor Hellebuyck.

Blake Wheeler and Mason Appleton scored for the Jets, who have turned it on a little too late to their liking in what’s been, overall, an underachieving season for Winnipeg.

"An average start, they had a couple chances but [Hellebuyck] made some good saves," Appleton said. "And then from there we poured on the shots. I think we were getting outshot by 10 early in the game, and then we put up, what, a 40-spot? Anytime you put up 40 you're usually going to like how the scoreboard looks at the end of the game, so we were happy with our effort."

The Jets, at best, will finish with 39 wins, but it’s a far cry from not making the playoffs after making it to the second round last season. Albeit, it was a situation of playing the other Canadian teams, but the fact is they still didn’t make the postseason. Whether Dave Lowry is the right guy for the job going forward remains to be seen, setting up an intriguing offseason in Winnipeg.

"We just started playing," Lowry said. "We always talk about goals in the last minute of periods and momentum. We got the one in the first and we talked about needing to get inside a little bit more after the first. [Appleton] scores one on a playable puck off the net."

Prediction


I wouldn’t be shocked if Hellebuyck got the start to close things out, and if he does, I think the home crowd will rally behind him and get a positive win to close the season. Hopefully that starts to put things in motion for next season. Time will tell, but it will be interesting. Jets win 4-2

Betting trends


Kraken are 9-16 after a division game this season.

Kraken are 13-23 revenging a loss this season.

Jets are 13-8 off a home win this season.

Projected lines


Kraken:

Ryan Donato -- Matty Beniers -- Jordan Eberle

Joonas Donskoi -- Riley Sheahan -- Daniel Sprong

Jared McCann -- Yanni Gourde -- Karson Kuhlman

Victor Rask -- Alex Wennberg -- Kole Lind

Adam Larsson -- Vince Dunn

Cale Fleury -- Carson Soucy

Jamie Oleksiak -- Will Borgen

Philipp Grubauer

Jets:

Nikolaj Ehlers -- Paul Stastny -- Blake Wheeler

Kyle Connor -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Jansen Harkins

Morgan Barron -- Adam Lowry -- Mason Appleton

Adam Brooks -- Dominic Toninato -- Evgeny Svechnikov

Josh Morrissey -- Dylan DeMelo

Dylan Samberg -- Brenden Dillon

Logan Stanley -- Neal Pionk

Connor Hellebuyck

Statistical leaders

Kraken:
Points: Jared McCann -- 49
Goals: Jared McCann -- 27
Assists: Vince Dunn -- 28
Goalie: Philipp Grubauer -- 18-31-5, 3.16 GAA, .889 SV%

Jets:
Points: Kyle Connor -- 92
Goals: Kyle Connor -- 46
Assists: Kyle Connor -- 46
Goalie: Connor Hellebuyck -- 29-27-10, 2.97 GAA, .910 SV%

Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert hockey picks today. And if you enjoyed this Seattle Kraken - Winnipeg Jets prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NHL projections and previews.

Chuck Sommers

About the Author:

Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

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