Tanev scores again, Kraken hold off Blackhawks for 3rd win in row

SEATTLE -- Brandon Tanev scored in his third straight game, and the Seattle Kraken defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday.

Jaden Schwartz and Matty Beniers also scored for the Kraken (8-8-1), who have won three in a row after losing four straight. Joey Daccord made 18 saves.

“The focus has been on our starts the last few games,” Seattle coach Dan Bylsma said. “I thought the guys did a great job of coming out and, really, led by Matty’s line, they had the first couple shifts in the offensive zone.

“And I think, also, the mindset with which we came out to execute was we made hard plays, we made north plays, and the result was getting to play in the offensive zone.”

Ryan Donato scored for the Blackhawks (6-10-1), who have lost three of four. Petr Mrazek made 23 saves.

“It’s disappointing,” Chicago forward Nick Foligno said. “We talked about it. They start fast here, too, and we just didn’t have an answer for that, and that’s disappointing.”

Said Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson: “I don’t think the first period was terrible. I thought we got more frustrated in the second period. I think we had a lack of execution on hitting the net. We had three good line rushes in the first where we missed the net by big margins, which doesn’t show up on the shot clock, and it frustrates the team.”

Beniers gave the Kraken a 1-0 lead at 4:18 of the second period, one-timing a Jared McCann feed off a 2-on-1 rush over Mrazek’s glove and under the crossbar.

Schwartz extended it to 2-0 with a power-play goal at 1:34 of the third period, taking a Chandler Stephenson pass from the corner and deking to his left at the top of the crease before scoring into an open net. It was Schwartz’s 200th NHL goal.

“[Schwartz] was demanding the puck,” Bylsma said. “The guys were saying on the bench, there was no doubt he was going to score tonight. And he got a great play from Chandler on the abbreviated power play.”

Donato cut it to 2-1 at 3:22 after getting his own rebound on a shot from the slot. The initial shot hit Daccord, who lost sight of the puck. Donato retrieved it and banked it off the post, off Daccord’s skate, and in.

“Just trying to get the puck to the net,” Donato said. “I think we were talking on the bench that we just weren’t getting enough shots. Sometimes the distance shot isn’t the best play, trying to shoot through guys’ feet, and that kind of stuff. But if you’re not getting anything, you might as well try something… The rebound kind of popped out, and I just tried to get it to the net again.”

Tanev scored an empty-net goal with 19 seconds remaining for the 3-1 final, his fourth goal during a three-game streak.

“I guess you could say our legs were there in the third,” Foligno said. “We were hanging around, hanging around, the game was almost waiting for us to take it over, and we just didn’t.”

Kraken captain Jordan Eberle left the game 17 seconds into the second period with a lower-body injury and did not return. In a race for the puck, Eberle got tangled with Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy and slammed into the end boards.

“Jordan is still being evaluated. That’s the situation right now,” Bylsma said. “We’ll tell you a little more tomorrow, I think. It created a situation where we used a couple different wingers, and as we saw, [Shane Wright] stepped in and did a great job with Matty for a couple shifts there. Guys stepped in and did a great job.”