Kraken Drop to Seventh Place After Getting Torched by a Blackhawks Team That's Already Dead

The Seattle Kraken lost 4-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night at Climate Pledge Arena, and it might be the most frustrating loss of the season. Why? Because Chicago isn't even trying to make the playoffs anymore. The Blackhawks got eliminated from postseason contention three days earlier with a loss to Edmonton, which means they're just out here playing spoiler while the Kraken's window keeps shrinking.

Sacha Boisvert, a rookie in just his fifth NHL game, beat Philipp Grubauer on a one-timer to restore Chicago's two-goal lead at 13:08 of the third period. That's the kind of goal that keeps you up at night when you're fighting for your playoff life. Ilya Mikheyev added an empty-netter to seal it. Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi also scored for the Blackhawks (28-35-14, 70 points), who had 25 saves from Arvid Soderblom.

The Kraken Can't Find Rhythm When It Matters Most

Jaden Schwartz and Kaapo Kakko scored for Seattle, but it wasn't nearly enough. Grubauer stopped 27 of 30 shots, but the defense in front of him was porous. Schwartz did pull the Kraken within 2-1 late in the third on a counterattack, redirecting a pass from Eeli Tolvanen over Soderblom's blocker at 10:48. Kakko scored off a rebound at 14:18 to get within one, but by then the damage was done.

This is the Kraken's fourth loss in a row and their eighth loss in their last nine games. That's not a slump. That's a free fall. The Kraken sit at 32-32-11 with 75 points, which drops them to seventh place in the Western Conference's wild-card race. They're six points out of the second and final playoff spot, and time is running out.

Chicago Controlled the Game From the Start

The Blackhawks outshot Seattle 10-4 in a scoreless first period, with all four Kraken shots coming from their defensemen. That tells you everything you need to know about the flow of the game. Chicago came to play, and Seattle looked flat.

Teravainen opened the scoring on a power play at 9:15 of the second, receiving a pass from Connor Bedard in the left-wing corner and having all the time in the world to skate it in. Mikheyev made it 2-0 at 19:37 on a messy play where Bertuzzi buried a rebound after a broken play behind the goal line.

The Kraken need to find answers fast. Every game matters now, and dropping one to an already-eliminated team is exactly the kind of loss that haunts teams down the stretch.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.