Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. For this edition, we will look at the Buffalo Sabres taking on the Seattle Kraken. Don’t forget to check out more NHL Predictions, as our writers continue this series throughout the 2025-26 season.

NHL Predictions Buffalo Sabres vs Seattle Kraken

2024-2025 Season Series: Kraken 2-0 Sabres
How to Watch: US TV: KHN/Prime, MSG-B, KONG, ESPN+

Time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)

Sabres Outlook
This is the last of six-straight games on the road for the Sabres. They started out 0-3, but have rallied back, beating Edmonton and Vancouver in their last two. A win here would make them .500 on this road trip, getting them back to a .500 record overall at 14-14-4. The pressure is on, as the Sabres are desperate to claw their way from the depths of the Eastern Conference standings. The Sabres are currently rotating three goaltenders between Alex Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis. It’s tough to say who is going to be the starter. All three goaltenders have good flashes and some games they’d like to forget.

Sabres’ forward lines at practice here in Seattle, with Noah Ostlund back in the mix:

Krebs-Thompson-Doan
Ostlund-Norris-Tuch
Benson-McLeod-Quinn
Greenway-Kozak-Malenstyn

Isak Rosen rotated in for Ostlund at LW2

— Justin Alpert (@alpert_justin) December 13, 2025

If these are the forward lines the Sabres opt to go with in Seattle it could be successful. Josh Dan has had a tremendous season and deserves to play with elite talent. It’s a little awkward to see Peyton Krebs centering that top line. Hopefully Tage Thompson can help both of those guys along the way. It’s good to see Ostlund back with the Sabres. He performed well with the group throughout the season, and it’s unfortunate that he had to be sent down due to the team carrying three goaltenders. The lack of Jason Zucker will be felt, he has a great goalscorers touch, but he just can’t seem to stay healthy this season so far.

Kraken Outlook

The Kraken have struggled as of late. They were once second in the Pacific Division standings. But a 3-6-1 record in their last 10 games has bumped them down to sixth place in the Pacific. Their woes mainly come around scoring goals. They have the worst scoring offence in the NHL currently with 73 goals scored in 29 games played. They’ve only won one of the last seven games they’ve played. That was a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. The goaltending has been decent in Seattle, with Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer playing a lot of games and holding down the fort. The Kraken most recently played Grubauer, so the Sabres can expect to see Daccord or maybe even Matt Murray in this one.

There is one advantage the Kraken hold over the Sabres. And that’s what is known in Sabreland as “the curse”. The Kraken are 7-1 all time against the Sabres. The Sabres were the last team in the NHL to beat the Kraken, and they’ve only done it once. Analytics are fun, and every new year brings new personnel and optimism for both squads. But one this has remained the same, the Kraken keep beating the Sabres. We’ll see if the Sabres can overcome the curse, or if it will continue to be the same story for the Kraken.

NHL Predictions

This game should be tight, with hopefully a lot of offence. The Sabres should break the curse, and keep it rolling against a team that is in the middle of a large downward spiral.

Prediction: Sabres win 5-3. 

Prop Bets:

Thompson has been lighting it up against lately and leads the team with 15 goals. Look for him to be an anytime goal scorer. On the other side, Mason Marchment had a two point performance in their last game, look for him to find the back of the net in this one. For anytime assists, Rasmus Dahlin has been lighting in up on this road trip. He has 22 assists on the year, he should get another one in this game.

Main Photo: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

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