Trouble is, the aforementioned Mikheyev scored his second goal of the game six minutes into the final period to make 2-0 Chicago before Evans tallied. That’s four goals for 30-year-old journeyman forward Mikheyev in the last three games. The suddenly revived Blackhawks won their third straight game, spoiling the debut of new Seattle forward Kaapo Kakko.
Alternate captain Yanni Gourde returned to the lineup and helped out Daccord with a first-period save of his own. Talking with Kraken Hockey Network’s Piper Shaw at the first intermission, the two-time Cup winner and Kraken fan-favorite from Day 1 was blunt about the Seattle squad’s effort in the opening 20 minutes.
“Unacceptable, awful, we need better,” said Gourde, who credited Daccord with handling a number of odd-man rushes. “Too many turnovers at the blue line. This has to stop.”
Per usual, Gourde did offer a solution when Shaw asked: “We need to put [the puck] deep and go to work [in the offensive zone]. We have to trust our structure.”
Coach Dan Bylsma concurred with Gourde: “How we started the game, sloppiness, our puck play. We were not engaged to start the game; I'll say that for sure, and that that shows up in execution, that shows up in puck battles, that shows up in having to play too much defense. That's something over the last 15 games, 10 to 12 games, we've recognized, identified and talked about. It's on each one of us in the room to make sure that we're bringing more to our game.”
The next chance to bring it will be Saturday night in Vegas, then back-to-back at Colorado on Sunday. The Kraken are now 15-17-2.
Bjorkstrand and Evans talked with the media post-game and echoed their coach’s comments. Each allowed the third period to be a bit better, “playing desperate” (per Bjorkstrand). Bylsma didn’t disagree but took a direct point of view.
“I'd be even more upset if we didn't have a push in response,” said Bylsma. “But we don't want to be a response team. We don't want to be one that has to put an effort in when you're down in the game. It’s really more where me, the group players in there, have to recognize we need to be a lot better.”
Special and Not So Special
Early in the middle period, Seattle penalty killers needed to batten down the scoring attempts to keep the game scoreless. Joey Daccord lived up to the hockey adage that the best penalty killer is most often the goalie. Seattle did a sound job of rebuffing Chicago from staying long in the offensive zone and the PK even worked one scoring attempt in the two minutes. Holding the Blackhawks off the scoreboard appeared to energize the Kraken over the next several shifts. A late second-period Kraken power play didn’t produce much, and the frame ended with Vince Dunn speeding cross-ice in the neutral zone to take on Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy, both going off for four-minute double majors.
On the night, the Kraken penalty killers wiped out two Chicago power plays while Seattle was unsuccessful in three tries against the Blackhawks PK units.
Daccord Keeps It Scoreless
The ice tilted in Chicago’s favor during the first period Thursday. The home squad Blackhawks, had three near-misses in the opening five minutes, hitting one post and another going wide of an open net. Not that Kraken starter Joey Daccord wasn’t on his game. He faced nine high-danger scoring chances and overall scoring opportunities in the frame, keeping the scoresheet and setting up his teammates with a chance to find some get-and-go in the middle period.
Daccord’s busy first period resulted in a scoreless duel at first intermission by his solid and consistengt work of being in position for pucks coming his way, whether criss-crossing screen in front of him or not. He was savvy about when to freeze the puck, slowing down the suddenly high-energy Blackhawks playing their seventh game for new coach Arvid Soderblom.
Paying It (Finnish) Forward
When forward Eeli Tolvanen joined Seattle mid-inaugural season, original Kraken Jonas Donski was injured but still with the club. He helped Tolvanen acclimate to all things new surroundings. Tolvanen is now returning the favor with newly-acquired Kaapo Kakko.
“He's a great player,” said Tolvanen about Kakko, adding they played on a gold-winning World Juniors team. He's a big body. Has really good hands. He uses his body. I think he’s gonna be a big piece for us.”
Tolvanen and Kakko both speak English quite proficiently, but the Tolvanen acknowledged the several hours they spent together Thursday morning, including some highly fluent Finnish.
“When you get in a new city, you have somebody you can ask questions, you go to lunch with; Donnie was there to help me,” said Tolvanen after the morning skate. I can help [Kakko] to get settled in Seattle and everything, like with the playing systems and with everybody around the team.”
