The lights burned a little brighter at Climate Pledge Arena as the (5-2-4) Seattle Kraken prepared to summon the storm against the (5-4-3) Chicago Blackhawks—a team in rebuild mode but brimming with dangerous young talent. Both teams entered the night hungry to snap losing streaks—Seattle looking to shake off back-to-back overtime heartbreaks, while Chicago aimed to halt a three-game slide. By pulling out the a 3- 1 win over the Blackhawks, the Kraken overcame the desperation that was in the air and talent they put on the ice.
“Well, we’re doing a good job, and you’re right, they have, and it’s a credit to them,” coach Lane Lamebert said about the team buying into his defensive mindset. “Nothing happens if they don’t buy in and if they don’t take ownership.”
The Kraken stormed out of the gate with a tidal wave of pressure, outshooting the Blackhawks 8–2 and dominating the dot with an 8–2 faceoff advantage by the 9:45 mark. Seattle’s physical edge was clear early, landing four hits to Chicago’s one, and Joey Daccord stood on his head with a series of jaw-dropping saves around 10:40, denying the Hawks from point-blank range. The tension spiked when Kaapo Kakko was flagged for high-sticking Connor Bedard, giving Chicago a spark of retaliation.
By the 6:52 the Blackhawks appeared to find have found their rhythm, closing the shot gap and matching Seattle’s physicality with three hits apiece. Faceoffs tightened, and the Kraken’s lone penalty loomed as a turning point. Ast the end of the first, Chicago had evened up the shots on goal count at 10–10, confirming their resilience. Though Seattle held slight edges in hits and faceoffs, the Blackhawks had weathered the early storm—and the ice was set for a fierce second act.
The second period unfolded like a symphony of surges and saves, with both teams trading momentum in dramatic fashion. Seattle’s Jamie Oleksiak rifle solo snap shot early gave Joey Daccord an early cushion by giving the Kraken an early edge. The Blackhawks didn’t wilt and responded with fury, flipping the script on the shot clock and dominating possession. Chicago attempted to shift the tempo by surging ahead in shots and faceoffs.
The Kraken clawed back with physicality, attacking and getting hits and finally drawing a penalty. Their persistence paid off when Matty Beniers buried a power play wrister, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Eeli Tolvanen, extending Seattle’s lead. Yet Arvid Soderblom stole the spotlight with a jaw-dropping kick save on Eberle, dropping into a full split that left the crowd gasping.
Daccord stood strong and tail as Connor Bedard peppered with three rapid-fire chances late in the frame, but the Kraken netminder showed his value. As the horn sounded, Chicago had outshot Seattle 24–15 and dominated the dot with 26 faceoff wins—but trailed where it mattered most: the scoreboard. The third period looms, and with it, the promise of a thrilling finish.
A tug-of-war between momentum and resolve opened the third period at Climate Pledge Arena, as the Chicago Blackhawks clawed for a comeback while the Seattle Kraken dug in to protect home ice. Chicago entered the final frame with a slight edge in shots and faceoffs, but Seattle’s physicality and opportunism would prove decisive.
Midway through the period, Andre Burakovsky gave the Blackhawks a lifeline, snapping home a wrist shot off a slick feed from Connor Bedard to cut the deficit and inject urgency into Chicago’s attack by narrowing the Kraken lead to 2-1. The Hawks surged in response, dominating the dot and piling on shots, eventually leading 33–22 in faceoffs and 29–24 in shots with just minutes remining.
But the Kraken refused to break. With 3:15 left, Jordan Eberle delivered the dagger—a smooth wrist shot set up by Matty Beniers that pushed Seattle ahead 3–1 and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Despite Chicago’s statistical edge in possession and pressure, Seattle’s timely scoring and gritty defense sealed the win, snapping their overtime skid and extending the Blackhawks’ losing streak to four.
“Winning is fun! It’s just a commitment to the group, a commitment to playing our game and executing our game plan the way we have to play to win,” Krakens goalie Joey Daccord said about why he’s pumped for their start of the season. “The coaches have made it very clear how we need to play to win games, and we’re doing it.”
In this win, the Kraken shared how critical their commitment and to their new head coaches’ strategies trumps numbers.
“For me tonight, it was a team victory. We didn’t have any passengers; everybody contributed to the win, and that’s what we need! We need to be a solid team that has everyone going every night, and our guys have bought in to that,” said coach Lamebert. “In my opinion, we make it a little tough for guys to play against us. We’re still working to grow offensively, and I’m looking forward to continuing that progression as well.”
These teams will meet again on November 20 in Chicago, during the Kraken’s five-game road trip later this month. They next face the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, November 5th, and the Blackhawks will head to Canada to face the Vancouver Canucks as part of their six-game road trip.
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