SEATTLE — Colorado Avalanche (51-24-7, first in the Central Division) vs. Seattle Kraken (46-28-8, fourth in the Pacific Division)
Seattle; Friday, 7 p.m. Pacific Time
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NHL LINE: Avalanche -158, Kraken +134; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Kraken lead series 3-2
BOTTOM LINE: The Seattle Kraken host the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 3-2 lead in the series. The teams meet Wednesday for the ninth time this season. The Kraken won the last matchup 3-2.
Seattle has a 21-18-4 record in home games and a 46-28-8 record overall. The Kraken have gone 48-7-4 when scoring at least three goals.
Colorado is 30-11-2 in road games and 51-24-7 overall. The Avalanche have a +51 scoring differential, with 274 total goals scored and 223 given up.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jared McCann has 40 goals and 30 assists for the Kraken. Matthew Beniers has scored three goals with one assist over the past 10 games.
Mikko Rantanen has 55 goals and 50 assists for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon has eight goals and five assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Kraken: 6-4-0, averaging 3.2 goals, 4.9 assists, 3.7 penalties and 8.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
Avalanche: 6-2-2, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.3 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
INJURIES: Kraken: Jared McCann: day to day (undisclosed), Joonas Donskoi: out (upper-body), John Hayden: out for season (lower body), Andre Burakovsky: out (lower-body).
Avalanche: Jack Johnson: day to day (lower body), Darren Helm: day to day (undisclosed), Valeri Nichushkin: day to day (personal), Pavel Francouz: out (lower body), Gabriel Landeskog: out (knee).
The defending champions are on the ropes, and the best team in the NHL has another chance to move on to the second round of the playoffs.
All four first-round series resuming Friday night feature a Game 6 with potential elimination. The most surprising team on the brink is Colorado, down 3-2 to the Kraken with the series going back to Seattle.
The Kraken are trying to treat the moment just as if it's any other situation. But players and coach Dave Hakstol know the gravity of the situation.
“We know what’s on the line, believe me,” Hakstol said. “We want to go home and play well and get the job done at home.”
The Kraken have put Nathan MacKinnon and the high-flying Avalanche on their heels by scoring first in all five games. The Avalanche would like to reverse that trend and send the series back to Denver for a Game 7 Sunday.
“We’ve got to have some desperation ... and just find a way,” forward Mikko Rantanen said.