The Seattle Kraken got off to a slow start on Tuesday and spotted the Chicago Blackhawks a two-goal lead. But as we’ve seen many times this season, they woke up, tilted the ice in the second period. This time, their poor opponent had no answer once things got rolling downhill, and Seattle glided through to an easy 6-2 win.
Lots of players had impressive performances statistically, with three points for Adam Larsson and two each for Shane Wright, Andre Burakovsky, and Matty Beniers, plus goals from Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle.
Here are Three Takeaways from a convincing 6-2 Kraken win over the Blackhawks.
Takeaway #1: Big night for the Big Cat
Though not known for his offensive prowess, Adam Larsson occasionally contributes a couple of points here and there. On this night, he came through in a big way with a critical goal at a key juncture in the game and later added two primary assists—one on Matty Beniers’ goal that made it 4-2 at 12:53 of the second period and the other on Shane Wright’s second goal of the night to make it 6-2 at 6:55 of the third.
It was the second three-point game of the season for the Big Cat, following a three-assist night in a 5-2 win at the New York Islanders on Dec. 5.
Larsson’s goal was the turning point in this game. Seattle had just fallen behind 2-0 at 17:13 of the first when Tyler Bertuzzi tipped Alex Vlasic’s wrist shot past Joey Daccord. But Larsson struck right back just 31 seconds later, showing good offensive instincts by recognizing a soft spot in the right circle and sneaking down from the blue line just as Jaden Schwartz successfully forechecked and jarred the puck loose to Beniers at the goal line.
Beniers laid a perfect pass in Larsson’s wheelhouse, and the defenseman ripped it home.
THE BIG CAT ANSWERS! 🦁
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) March 19, 2025
31 seconds after Tyler Bertuzzi made it 2-0 Blackhawks, Matty Beniers sets up Adam Larsson.
2-1, #SeaKraken back in the game. pic.twitter.com/NeE7286xUS
The goal seemed to settle things down for the Kraken, who didn’t look particularly sharp for much of the first period. They went on to score four goals in the second period and cruised to an easy victory.
Takeaway #2: Wright as rain
Shane Wright also had a big night for Seattle, scoring goals No. 16 and 17 on the season. Remember, he’s been in a bit of a weird spot since Jani Nyman got recalled, playing the majority of his shifts on what Dan Bylsma refuses to call the team’s fourth line (but… it is).
Even so, Wright got plenty of ice time in this one with 16:54 TOI and still managed to score one of his tallies while out with that line of Mikey Eyssimont, Wright, and John Hayden. Eyssimont made some fantastic plays to create that goal—first throwing a reverse hit, then cutting to the slot and getting two point-blank looks at Spencer Knight before Wright tapped in Eyssimont’s second rebound.
WRIGHT AS RAIN! ☔️ 🚨
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) March 19, 2025
Heckuva sequence by Mikey Eyssimont to create an easy tap-in for Shane Wright.
Five unanswered goals for the #SeaKraken since they fell behind 2-0.
5-2. pic.twitter.com/WKkhQQxhoK
Wright’s second goal came off a pretty give-and-go with Larsson, and that one happened with Jared McCann and Andre Burakovsky as his temporary linemates.
WRIGHT AS RAIN x 2! ☔️ 🚨
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) March 19, 2025
Nice little give-and-go play with Adam Larsson, and Shane Wright gets his second of the night. Three points for the Big Cat tonight.
6-2 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/k1CfTTJyLM
It put him into a three-way tie for the team’s goal-scoring lead, behind Eeli Tolvanen (21) and Jaden Schwartz (19) but level with McCann and Beniers, who both also potted their 17th goals in this game.
I still don’t think it’s ideal to have Wright playing most of his shifts in that spot with Eyssimont and Tye Kartye or Hayden, but I know it’s temporary. Coaches are hesitant to change lineups that are working, and although I don’t think Bylsma expected to be rolling with Wright on that line for as long as he has, the team has looked very good since Jani Nyman arrived.
So, until the Kraken have a stumble, I expect Wright to continue playing a similar role. Hey, he’s making the most of it.
Takeaway #3: Taking care of business
Seeing the Kraken play the way they have since the NHL Trade Deadline is both encouraging and disappointing at the same time. It’s disappointing because there were so many games like this earlier in the year when it felt like Seattle just had to “take care of business” against lesser teams in what felt like must-win games, yet they’d come out and lay an egg (think about that dreadful stretch around Thanksgiving when they went 1-3 in two home-and-home series against the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks).
That said, it remains way more fun to watch the team win games and start to believe in itself—a mindset that can serve as a foundation for a more successful season in 2025-26. This version of the Kraken that we’ve been seeing lately is now 4-1-1 in six games since the deadline, has won its league-leading ninth game after trailing by two or more goals, and—although it was facing a horrendous defensive team—looked dominant in the second and third periods on Tuesday.
Yes, it would have been nice to see the team reach this level earlier in the season, but it is still enjoyable to see it, even now.
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
I’ve seen enough of Eyssimont to want him on the team next year. He might not have Tanev’s raw energy and PK ability but he more than makes up for that in hockey acumen and offensive skill.
One has to like the direction of this team heading into 25-26, especially if RF fills a few holes.
Most fans would be confused by the way Bylsma is playing Shane, but it is a compliment. Though only 21, Bylsma trusts him to play anywhere in the lineup and probably in any role. This is also what makes Stephenson such a great signing.
It’s odd most writers and fans have been so ho-hum on Eyssimont. He’s exactly the kind of player teams need to be contenders night in and night out over 82 games and playoffs. Sure enough, Kraken management had their eye on him as someone to try to get, but all the focus was on the 1st round picks.
I’m already a fan of Essyimont. He’s fast and physical.
And now Wright will have to prove that he can play that top-six center role sooner, I am sure, than anyone is comfortable with. Damnit! Just as Stephenson is playing his best hockey this happens to him. I seriously hope that he comes back looking the same way he has this past month.
You are right about Eyssimont. He really has been over-loooked, and he clearly adds an element to the team that it had been missing. He plays without fear. Shooting the puck is not something that he gives a second thought to. It’s not just grit or edge that he plays with. Rather it’s like he just really enjoys everything about playing hockey, so he is eager to do it all. He has some of that “winning culture” in him that Montour has. You know, I bet there is something to that. You look at the dudes who came to the Kraken recently from winning teams–Eyssimont, Montour, Stephenson, Kakko (the Rangers are “NHL” winning)–and there is a passion in those guys. We used to see that in our guys a couple years ago. Remember what Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle and Philip Grubauer were like in the playoffs? I want to see that again.
Three good takes Darren. I might add that since his long waited return to the lineup just Jordan Eberle captain leadership and presence seems to have really woke this team up.
Go Kraken!!!
Any guess on when Jani will go back to the desert?
My guess is before the 10 game mark so that the ELC can slide back a year.
Nyman isn’t slide eligible this year so it doesn’t matter how many games he plays, this is going to count as his first year of his ELC either way.
https://puckpedia.com/team/seattle-kraken
Looks like the same holds true for Firkus, Goyette, Kokko, Nelson, and Ottavainen – this season counts as the first year of the their ELC regardless of where they play.
Not sure about Sale – Capwages states that he’s a slide candidate but Puckpedia states that he is not slide eligible (or at least doesn’t show the little “slide” icon on the Kraken team page). But Sale is listed on the Puckpedia “Slide Tracker” so my guess is Sale will slide, too.
https://puckpedia.com/entry-level-slides
This team has been very enjoyable to watch the last four games! Earlier I was wanting them to lose for the drafts sake, but watching them win like they have has been awesome. As a relocated Midwesterner-ish (from Everett, living in Sioux Falls) I wish I was available to make the four hour drive and watch them in Minneapolis tonight. Go Kraken!
Any thoughts on targets in free agency?
How about the Big Cats deep V on the postgame show?
I’m hoping they sit out the next free agency period and instead go after solid signed players via trades. My sense is that free agency will become an even more inefficient and way more expensive way to get players, given that pretty much all teams will have a lot more cap space over the next few seasons and probably beyond.
We are all glad you were not able to make that 4 hour drive!
Larsson’s deep-Vs are singularly appropriate to him. He’s like a lumberjack with Sweedish style.
Free agency is a tough one. They are going to need a new third-pairing right defenseman, and those guys are always in high demand. Unless they give Grubauer another year (I think they should), they will need a backup netminder. I would love to get Driedger back or maybe Magnus Hellberg. It would be awesome to finally see those pads in a game.