The (32-31-11) Seattle Kraken end their two-game home stand against the (27-35-14) Chicago Blackhawks, who are coming off five consecutive losses, while playing seven of the last eight games on the road. These teams will face off for the final time this season, and the Kraken had a chance to sweep the season series after winning each of the two previous meetings between the clubs. Because of the Kraken’s current playoff positioning, this loss is tough to understand.
“We were flat. You’ve got to give them credit — young legs, nothing to lose,” Kraken forward Brandon Montour said. “I don’t know if we’re too tight or just not playing fast. We created a little bit, but not nearly enough, especially against a team below us, a team that’s already out. We keep saying it: we need to be desperate.”
When Kraken head coach Lane Lambert was asked about the team’s lack of urgency during the game, he responded just as you might have guessed.
“I’d use one word: disappointed,” coach Lambert said of the team’s play, considering what was on the line. “Obviously, losing all these games is inexcusable. The players need to take ownership, and I think they have.”
Against the Blackhawks, the match unfolded as a tight, low‑event chess match, with both the Kraken and Blackhawks trading early penalties but generating little sustained pressure. Chicago carried a slight edge in shot volume throughout the frame, gradually working their way to a 10–4 advantage while also leading in hits and takeaways. Seattle steadied the faceoff battle as the period progressed, but neither side found an offensive breakthrough, setting the tone for a grinding, defensive start to the night.
The succeeding period tilted further toward Chicago as the Blackhawks pushed the pace and widened their shot advantage, eventually stretching it to 22–15 by the horn. Seattle held strong in the faceoff circle, steadily climbing to a 26–15 edge, but mounting penalty trouble kept them on their heels. Consecutive infractions against Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson handed Chicago extended opportunities, allowing the visitors to control possession and generate the bulk of the period’s looks. The Kraken matched the physicality late, but with Chicago leading in takeaways and forcing multiple giveaways, the frame belonged to the Blackhawks’ pressure and discipline.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of confidence right now. It’s the old adage — squeezing the stick, not really feeling it,” coach Lambert said. “Sometimes guys try too hard. At the same time, we did have some opportunities here and there. We’re just not getting the timely goals we need to turn things around.”
“This year, you’re going to get every team’s best, no matter who you’re playing, Chicago or Colorado. You have to be playing your best hockey,” veteran Montour said. “If you’re not showing up each and every night, the results are going to look like they have since the break. That’s on our group to keep fighting to the end. You never know. But we’ve dug ourselves a pretty big hole, and that’s on us.”
The Kraken finally broke through in the third, turning a grinding defensive night into a late offensive surge. After weathering another early penalty, the Kraken actually began tilting the ice with sustained zone time and dominant work in the faceoff circle, eventually climbing to a 35–28 advantage. Jaden Schwartz sparked the push with a wrist‑shot finish off feeds from Eeli Tolvanen and Matty Beniers, but Chicago answered quickly to keep the pressure tight.
“Well, we didn’t win, so we’re not happy with that. We’re trying. They clogged up the neutral zone pretty well, so we couldn’t enter with a ton of speed,” Kraken Forward Jaden Schwartz said. “But we had a few shifts with a lot of O‑zone time. We had pushes. Guys made plays off the rush, and we had some really good shifts in the offensive zone — we just couldn’t find a way to get another one.”
The Kraken refused to fade, matching the Blackhawks hit‑for‑hit and capitalizing on turnovers as Kaapo Kakko buried a snap shot to pull Seattle back within reach. Even with Ilya Mikheyev striking late for Chicago, Seattle’s third‑period push—highlighted by improved puck movement, rising shot totals, and a stronger forecheck—gave the final frame its most spirited stretch of the night.
The Blackhawks will travel to San Jose to face the Sharks in their final road game of the regular season. The Kraken have two more two-game road trips to finish the season, starting with the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night and the Minnesota Wild on the very next night; both teams are ahead of the Kraken in the standings. The Kraken will continue to their uphill battle to make the NHL playoffs; however, their recent losing streak doesn’t show that they are deserving of a playoff spot.
