CHICAGO — Ilya Mikheyev netted two goals, while Arvid Soderblom recorded 27 saves, allowing the Chicago Blackhawks to secure a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night, marking their third consecutive win.
Teuvo Teravainen contributed significantly with two assists as the Blackhawks completed a perfect trio of home games. Nolan Allan also made his mark by scoring his first career goal in the third period of the match.
This victory signifies the Blackhawks’ first three-game winning streak since they achieved five in a row back in February 2023.
On the other hand, the Kraken faced their fourth loss in five games and have only scored two goals during their current three-game losing stretch.
Seattle welcomed Kaapo Kakko, who made his debut for the team after being traded from the New York Rangers. Additionally, Yanni Gourde returned after being sidelined for three games due to a lower-body injury. Despite these additions, the Kraken could only muster Ryker Evans’ fourth goal 11:26 into the third period.
The Blackhawks took the lead in the second period when Teravainen’s pass ricocheted off Mikheyev’s left leg and into the net at 10:54.
Teravainen assisted again on Mikheyev’s sixth goal at 6:06 in the third period, further enhancing his contribution to the game. Mikheyev is now enjoying a scoring streak with four goals in the last three games, while Teravainen has tallied seven assists in that same span.
Key points to note include that Kakko adds a significant physical presence for Seattle, which could help them at the net front, although it may take time for him to develop a rhythm with his new teammates.
Meanwhile, the Blackhawks improved their record to 4-3-0 since interim coach Anders Sorensen took over, and they seem to be thriving under his more aggressive coaching style.
A crucial moment in the game was when Allan scored to extend Chicago’s lead to 3-1 with just 4:49 remaining on the clock.
In terms of statistics, Chicago has impressively killed 31 consecutive power plays over the last 11 games, while Seattle failed to convert on all three of their power-play opportunities.
Looking ahead, the Seattle Kraken will face off against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night, while the Chicago Blackhawks will head to Calgary for the start of a three-game road trip on the same day.