Work to do in the Windy City: previewing the Kraken at the Blackhawks, December 19th, 2024
By Silvia Leija-Rosas and Charles Hamaker
Chicago, IL - Our Seattle Kraken (15-16-2) face the Chicago Blackhawks (11-19-2) in a Western Conference clash tonight at the United Center, the first of four consecutive road games in the Kraken schedule and the first of three road contests before the NHL’s Holiday break for Seattle. Both teams are aiming to turn their seasons around after inconsistencies across the board, and Seattle is still trying to take advantage of being just slightly out of a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference despite the lack of consistency. The game begins at 5:30 PM PST, 8:30 PM EST. Here’s what to know about this game, who to watch, and more.
A collection of photos from the last time that these two teams met, back on November 14th, 2024 at Climate Pledge Arena when the Seattle Kraken defeated the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 3-1. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)
Looking at the Kraken
Coming off a frustrating 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators, the Kraken have found themselves below .500 and in desperate need of offensive cohesion. The Kraken are coming into this game 23rd in the league in offense, with 95 goals in 33 games and sitting at sixth place in the Pacific Division. Seattle has struggled to maintain its scoring touch at any point really throughout this season. Seattle has shown the ability to explode offensively or even just do enough in terms of goal production in games this season, but just like last year the kraken’s inability to do so consistently is making them a mediocre team that won’t reach the full potential that they possess within themselves.
“We did have some good looks. But [goalie Linus] Ullmark saw all of them. He’s a big goalie ... I think we probably had to come a little more dirty than we did.”
This has been a common refrain for the Kraken: they need to bring a more physical, net-front presence to their offense, with players crashing the crease to create high-danger scoring opportunities. It’s worked before, we know it can work again. Seattle’s ability to dominate games when scoring three or more goals (14-2-1) underscores the importance of igniting their attack.
Defensively, the Kraken have been solid, allowing 2.97 goals per game. Adam Larsson and Brandon Montour have combined for 9.4 defensive point shares, while goaltender Joey Daccord has been reliable between the pipes with a .915 save percentage and 2.46 goals-against average. When Seattle is defending cohesively, they are a difficult team to beat but they’ve been held back most often by how poor their offense typically performs.
Looking at the Blackhawks
Chicago enters the game with newfound resilience. The team is on a two-game winning streak after their 3-2 win over Washington when they rallied from a two-goal deficit, scoring three times in the third period, including a shorthanded goal. Connor Bedard continues to impress, with seven goals and 19 assists, while former Kraken forward Ryan Donato has led the charge with 11 goals this season.
Since the promotion of Anders Sorensen to head coach on December 5th, Chicago is playing more competitive hockey and the vibes are just better overall. Still, their overall performance remains inconsistent. They average just 2.5 goals per game while allowing 3.16, with defensive lapses often undermining their efforts. Goaltender Arvid Soderblom is their bright spot, posting a .909 save percentage and 2.70 goals-against average.
Morning Skate/Lineup Notes
With nobody who traveled for this game against Chicago reporting anything about morning skate, there isn’t much that we currently know about the skate itself and if there are any real notable updates to pay attention to unfortunately. All that we really are aware of, thanks to zoom meetings with him and general manager Ron Francis arranged by team PR, is that recently acquired Kaapo Kakko is going to slot into the lineup in a top six role for the Kraken.
Injury Notes
Seattle:
Yanni Gourde (C): Day-to-day as of December 18th with a lower body injury.
Gourde was skating the last two days of the Kraken homestand, and it seemed as though he could play in the Ottawa game, but never got a status besides “Day-to-day” from head coach Dan Bylsma and he skated late with scratches Daniel Sprong and Josh Mahura. Tonight’s contest seems like a prime opportunity for the “Pepper Pot” to return to action for Seattle.
Jordan Eberle (RW): On long-term injured reserve (pelvis) as of November 30th.
Unfortunately for Seattle and it’s fanbase, the Kraken will be without their captain for at least three months after he underwent pelvic surgery following that came following an ugly crash into the end boards during the last time they played Chicago back at home. Eberle more than likely won’t return to the lineup for Seattle until the last month or so of the season due to this injury.
Chicago:
Craig Smith (C): Day-to-day as of December 18th.
Petr Mrazek (G): On injured reserve (groin); deemed “real close” but unavailable as of December 17th.
Seth Jones (D): On injured reserve (foot); now considered day-to-day but unavailable as of December 17th.
Laurent Brossoit (G): On injured reserve following a knee procedure on November 29th; out for six weeks.
Starting Goaltender Matchup
Seattle Kraken: Joey Daccord (8-6-1, .915 SV%, 2.46 GAA)
Chicago Blackhawks: Arvid Soderblom (5-10-1, .909 SV%, 2.70 GAA)
Key Players to Watch
Seattle:
Kaapo Kakko: After a tough start to the season with the New York Rangers, Kakko, drafted second overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, was acquired by Seattle on a very busy Wednesday night for the NHL. The 23-year-old has tallied 61 goals and 131 points in over 330 career games. Kakko’s speed, defensive ability, and potential for offensive breakout make him a player to watch, especially under Seattle's development-focused system. With frustrations and trade rumors swirling around Kakko in New York, this change of scenery could be exactly what he needs to unlock his full potential. During a morning zoom call with Seattle Kraken media, Kakko said he talked to the coaches this morning about his role on the team. If Kakko can regain his offensive form, he could be a key contributor for the Kraken moving forward.
Andre Burakovsky: “Burky” enters this game with three points (One goal/Two assists) in his last six games. With 12 points in 31 games this season, he is ranked eighth in assists (Ten) and power-play points (tied with three). While he hasn’t had the season that anyone has wanted, and really hasn’t looked like the player the Kraken expected him to be outside of the first half season during his current five-year contract, Andre still possesses a great shot and some great skill with the puck. Unlocking the Burky that can be a dangerous top-six forward is key, and it’s unclear how to do so as if it was easy to figure out, Seattle would’ve gone ahead and done it already considering just how much of a boost it would represent for them. Additionally, Burakovksy has 14 points (Five goals/Nine assists) in 18 career games against the Blackhawks.
“I talked with the coaches a little bit this morning about the power play, the style of play over here, not really the linemates or anything. Lots of good players here, I’m happy to play with anyone.”
Chicago:
Connor Bedard: The dynamic rookie has 26 points (Seven goals/19 assists) and is a constant offensive threat with the sort of skill that he possesses.
Ryan Donato: The former Kraken forward leads the Blackhawks with 11 goals, including a game-winner in their last contest that was a narrow victory over the Capitals. In an expanded role since leaving Seattle in free agency, Donato has been able to showcase his offensive ability even more than when he was a third of the Kraken fourth line that helped them reach the postseason back in the 2022-23 season and he’s one of the free bright spots on this Chicago roster behind Bedard. Scoring in the last game that these two teams met in back at Climate Pledge Arena, keep an eye on “Donnie” to potentially create some chaos against his former team again.
Teuvo Teravainen: Teravainen enters this game after consecutive three-point games, netting a goal and five assists in that span, including three assists in the last game that Chicago played when they beat the Washington Capitals by a final score of 3-2. His 19 points (Seven goals/12 assists) in 32 games this season rank second among all Chicago skaters. Five of Teravainen's goals came on the power play, leading all Blackhawks, and making him someone to watch if the Seattle penalty kill (Ranked 17th in the league so far this year) has to come out on the ice in this road game.
Key Stats to Watch
The Kraken are 14-2-1 when scoring three or more goals this season but just 1-5-0 when scoring exactly two.
Seattle’s ability to get going and to do so early is a key, with the first period often a hurdle for the Kraken so far this year at least in terms of their offensive play. They haven’t been able to get going early on, at least not in any sort of consistent way, and having to play catch up too often is not the way a winning hockey team plays.
Chicago has scored three or more goals in 12 games, earning a 9-3-0 record in those matchups.
The Kraken must show the defensive game that they’ve displayed at times so far this season, but especially the one that was shown in the games against Florida and Boston. The way that Seattle defended the middle of the ice and ensured that everything their opponent did on the offensive end came from the perimeter, making life easier for their goaltenders and giving them an excellent chance to win those games. The Kraken penalty kill, which has handled nine of the last eleven power plays that they’ve faced, will be a critical aspect of this game considering the offensive skill that the Blackhawks possess (See: Bedard, Donato).
The Blackhawks have killed 28 consecutive penalties, a streak that could be critical against Seattle’s aggressive forecheck.
To begin the month of December, at least through two weeks, the Kraken power play looked good and as if they had turned a corner on the man advantage after continued struggles to begin the year. From the 29th of November to that game on December 10th against the Panthers, the Seattle power play ranked 6th best in the NHL during that span. It seems like a “Coughing baby vs hydrogen bomb” type scenario with a poor Kraken power play facing the recently strong Chicago penalty kill, but there’s always someone who comes along to break a streak and if Seattle can get the net front presence of Kaapo Kakko on the man advantage, it would be a big boost to their special teams.
Key Storylines to Watch
#ReleaseTheKakko: Where does Kakko fit on this struggling Kraken team?
With Seattle acquiring young forward Kaapo Kakko via trade yesterday, and with Kakko saying this morning that he’ll be in the lineup during a zoom call with the Seattle media, where will the team insert him into the lineup? Considering his size and the ability to get to the front of the net, two things many other Kraken forwards haven’t done at a consistent rate this season or really ever, Kakko should be a candidate to slot in to a top six role immediately and will get some time on the power play. How he performs will be intriguing to see with a new team, and therefore new opportunity, but the ability to contribute right away will be there.
Bedard vs. Daccord: How will Seattle’s defense and Daccord handle the skill and creativity of Connor Bedard?
Bedard, considering the NHL’s newest golden boy, possesses all the skill in the world but hasn’t really been surrounded by talent good enough to make Chicago a winner just yet. That’ll take some time as the Blackhawks work towards the latter end of a rebuild (Or at least Chicago sports fans hope, for their sake), but Bedard is still a dangerous player and must be watched throughout this game. If Seattle is able to clog the middle of the ice as they did in the first two games of their last homestand against Florida and Boston, two teams that have better players on their roster than Chicago, the Kraken should be able to control this game and walk out of the United Center with a victory.
Net-Front Presence: Will the Kraken forwards get physical enough to disrupt Söderblom and capitalize on second-chance opportunities?
With Yanni Gourde hopefully back into the lineup and Kakko set to make his debut, Seattle should be able to get some quality second-chance looks on goal against Arvid Söderblom as they look to snap a goal-less streak since the first period of their embarrassing loss on December 14th to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Climate Pledge Arena. One of the primary issues of a lacking and usually inept offensive attack for the Kraken has been their lack of players who possess the size to be an effective net front presence/the willingness for their players to get to the crease.
How to watch
For those who won’t be attending this game in Chicago at the United Center, this game is viewable on the Kraken Hockey Network and KONG in the local market and ESPN+ for those who aren’t in the local market. For those in the state of the Washington, here’s the list of Seattle Kraken audio network affiliates: Seattle KJR 93.3 FM (Flagship station), Spokane KIX 99.3 FM, Tri-Cities KJOX 1340 AM, Mount Vernon KAPS 660 AM and 102.1 FM, Port Angeles KONP 1450 AM and 101.7 FM, Forks KBDB 96.7 FM, Olympia KAYO 96.9 FM/KGY 95.3 FM, Bellingham KPUG 1170AM or KGMI 790 AM, Yakima KBBO 1390 AM, Shelton KMAS 1030 AM/103.3 FM, Colfax KRAO 102.5 FM, Ellensburg KXLE 95.3 FM, and Aberdeen KSWW 102.1 FM. For those in the state of Oregon: Portland KPOJ 620 AM, Astoria KCRX 102.3 FM, Hood River/The Dalles KIHR 1340 AM and 98.3 FM, Corvallis KEJO 1240 AM. For those in Alaska: Anchorage KTZN 550 AM, Juneau KTKU 105.1 FM, Ketchikan KTKN 930 AM and 95.7 FM, Kenai KSRM 920 AM, Sitka KIFW 1230 AM, Kodiak Is. KVOK 560 AM/98.7 FM, and Fairbanks KKED 104.7 FM. For those in Idaho, you can find it on St Maries KOFE 1240 AM and those in Montana can find it on Missoula KKVU 102.9 FM. If you want to watch the game alongside other Kraken fans or just be out of the house, you can click here for a list of Anchor Alliance bars including the home of Circling Seattle Sports, Rough & Tumble Pub!
What's next after this game?
Following tonight’s road contest against the Chicago Blackhawks, our Seattle Kraken will fly out of Illinois in order to get to Las Vegas area for a practice tomorrow at T-Mobile Arena. The day after that practice, Saturday, December 21st, the Kraken will begin a back-to-back as they battle a Pacific Division rival in the Las Vegas Golden Knights with a puck drop time of 7PM PST. It’s a tough game already to have to deal with the Golden Knights, who currently sit atop the Pacific Division and third in the Western Conference, but to have to fly out after that game and deal with a Colorado Avalanche team that’s dug themselves out of an ugly beginning of the year to know find themselves in fourth place of a loaded Central division is a tall task for Dan Bylsma’s group to handle. This stretch of three road games (Chicago, Las Vegas, Colorado) leads Seattle into the NHL’s Holiday break that spans from the 24th-26th officially but lasts from the 23rd through the 26th for the Kraken, before their next game after that is also on the road as they head slightly North to take on the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, December 28th, with an early puck drop time of 1PM PST. It’s a rough road stretch amidst a month of December that seemed as though early on it was the turning point of the season, but unless Seattle is able to get chugging once again here soon it’s a time frame that only pushes the Kraken further down the standings.
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Check out our previous Seattle Kraken articles here.
Check out our previous articles with writing by Charles Hamaker here.
Check out our previous articles written by Silvia Leija Rosas here, and follow her on Twitter here.
Check out our previous articles with photos by Rio Giancarlo here, and his portfolio here.
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