3 Game Essentials | Kraken at Blackhawks | April 7

One: Disappointment as Fuel

Coach Dave Hakstol didn't fault his squad's effort and specifically liked the jump of Eberle and linemates Alex Wennberg and Ryan Donato ("not just on the goal"), plus offered kudos to Driedger for keeping the game close when it could have been, oh, 3-nothing after the first 20 minutes. But like his players, Hakstol was disappointed: "We didn't come here to lose close."
Turning that disappointment into finishing scoring chances in Chicago Thursday is the best way to encourage the Kraken faithful.

Two: The Upside of Will Borgen

Earlier this season, defenseman Will Borgen was routinely a healthy scratch when the Kraken included eight defenseman on the active roster. With captain Mark Giordano and Jeremy Lauzon moved at the trade deadline, Borgen figured to get his opportunity for regular minutes.
He's making a good impression on the data sheets and, by all indications, with the coaching staff. Stick tap to Kraken colleague Lindsey Brown for unearthing these numbers from Natural Stat Trick: Since March 26, during 5-on-5 play when Borgen has been on the ice, the Kraken have outshot opponents 44 to 27 and outscored foes 6-zip. Plus, the team's expansion draft pick from Buffalo is second in the league with 31 hits since then.
Borgen assisted on the Kraken goal in St. Louis Wednesday, noticing a patient Ryan Donato circling with the puck and "looking for a friend" (another stick tap, this time Kraken colleague John Forslund). Borgen skated toward the net to receive the puck from Donato, then quickly fired a pass-shot that Jordan Eberle steered across the goal line from front-in.
Borgen is getting 15 to 17 minutes of ice time and now has logged 24 games in this inaugural season with a goal, four assists and a +1 plus/minus. But he is trending higher in recent action and worth watching for his work in both the defensive and offensive zones as he makes a case for himself in the 2022-23 season.

Three: Know the Foe: Chicago Blackhawks (24-35-11, 7th in Central Division)

Chicago is in a major rebuild, a major change from the Cup-winning years of 2010, 2013, 2015. What's not different is forward Patrick Kane's stat line. He has 22 and 58 assists for 80 points. His linemate Alex DeBrincat is on the verge of 40 goals and centerman Dylan Strome is likely going to set a new career-high for goals in the remaining 12 games for CHI.
A stat that might surprise Kraken fans: Chicago has scored 188 goals this season, while the Kraken have 183 goals. A player to watch Thursday: German-born 2020 first-round draft choice (17th overall) Lukas Reichel has been recalled from the AHL. He appeared in five games earlier this season without any points, but the 19-year-old notched a point per game (21 goals, 28 assists) in 49 games for Rockford. Projected as a center, he will likely play wing with future Hall of Famer Jonathan Toews in the middle Thursday with 2019 first-rounder (3rd overall) Kirby Dach, another projected center, on the other wing.