Kraken Game Facts
This Evening: Chicago Blackhawks at Seattle Kraken
Where: Climate Pledge Arena
When: 7 pm pacific
TV/Radio: TNT / FM 93.3
Key Factors:
Expected starting goalies: Arvid Soderblom vs. Joey Daccord
It’s a game the Kraken simply can’t afford to lose. Although they put up a decent fight in their 2-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night, Chicago is not a good hockey team, not one that Seattle can stand to lose to at this point.
The Kraken get some healthy bodies back for this game and absolutely have to end their losing streak at four.
The Blackhawks have the 2nd fewest points in the league (30). Only the San Jose Sharks, the Kraken’s opponent next Tuesday in the last game before the NHL All-Star break, have fewer (28).
Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer returns from injury after missing 18 games and will presumably back up Daccord for this one.
More importantly, top D-man Vince Dunn returns to the line-up. He went through a full practice on Tuesday, as did forwards Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Eberle.
Center Matty Beniers skated in a red no-contact sweater on Tuesday and will miss this tilt, as will fellow-pivot Yanni Gourde, serving the 2nd game of a two-game NHL suspension.
Seattle lost 72% of the face-offs in the game against the Maple Leafs on Sunday.
The Blackhawks are without their star rookie center Connor Bedard, expected to miss at least another next six weeks with a broken jaw suffered back on January 5th. With Bedard in the line-up at Climate Pledge Arena back on December 14th, Chicago lost to Seattle 7-1.
Who’s Hot? And Not …
The Blackhawks have averaged a goal-and-a-half on offense over their last four games, so there’s no real “hot” going on. Last Friday night would be the exception when Chicago beat the New York Islanders 4-3 in overtime.
Jason Dickinson had a goal and two assists while fellow forwards Boris Katchouk and Joey Anderson and D-man Seth Jones all had a goal and an assist in the win.
For the Kraken, Oliver Bjorkstrand has 15 points over his last 16 games. Eberle is averaging a point-a-game over his last five.
Via Kraken PR, since winger Tomas Tatar was acquired on December 15th and joined forces with Eberle, the two on the same line have outscored opponents 10-1 at even strength.
Rookie forward Tye Kartye is pointless in his last three games and has just three over his last 15.
Special Teams
The Kraken power play went 0-for-2 against Toronto while the penalty kill went 2-for-2. For the season, Seattle is hanging around an acceptable benchmark in both categories. They’re at 20.9% on the PP and 79.7% on the PK.
The Blackhawks man advantage went 0-for-5 in Vancouver and is dead last in the NHL at 12.2%, while the penalty kill is a substandard 76.8%.
Coming In:
Blackhawks: 14-31-and-2, in last place in the Central Division, following Monday’s 2-0 loss to the Canucks.
Kraken: 19-18-and-9, tied for 5th place in the Pacific Division, following their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Maple Leafs on Sunday.
Recent Kraken:
— Kraken NHL Tuesday; Injuries to Soucy, Bedard, As Perry Surfaces
— Seattle Kraken Getting Healthy At Practice (with Dunn and Beniers video)
— Kraken’s Devin Shore Trying To Make The Most Of It
