Grubauer makes 29 saves, Kraken shut out Blackhawks

CHICAGO -- Philipp Grubauer made 29 saves for the Seattle Kraken in a 2-0 win against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Thursday.

It was Grubauer's second shutout this season and 20th in the NHL.
"You've got to be comfortable in those tight games," Grubauer said. "You're not going to score six goals every time. … Do the right things offensively and defensively. It was a really good team effort today."
Jordan Eberle had a goal and an assist, and Alex Wennberg scored for Seattle (23-42-6), which was coming off a 4-1 loss at the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday.
"Early in the year, we took the easy way out on a couple of back-to-backs, just being honest," Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. "Our effort wasn't what it needed to be. … It's a hockey game. Yeah, we traveled, but everybody has back-to-backs. Everybody's got probably between a dozen and 15 this year.
"They're a fact of life. You show up and play, or you don't. It hasn't been a topic of discussion for us. It wasn't today. We all know it's a factor at different times of the games in terms of energy, but it's how big of a factor you allow it to be."

Kevin Lankinen made 29 saves for Chicago (24-36-11), which has lost six straight games (0-4-2).
"We should've had a couple of goals, obviously, but we didn't," Blackhawks coach Derek King said. "No urgency. I mean, too many passengers. Simple. That's it, in a nutshell. 'Lanks' played a great game. He had no support, and I'm going to have to address that."
After the Kraken outshot the Blackhawks 17-3 in the first period, Wennberg scored 47 seconds into the second to make it 1-0. He got around defenseman Jake McCabe in the high slot before he deked Lankinen and finished with his forehand into an open net.
"I had it in my toolbox," Wennberg said of the deke. "I'm happy it worked out. How the play developed, I got a little speed, so I was going to fake the shot and see if I could get the space, and [I felt] like I could beat him around. It goes fast. You trust your instinct."
The Kraken killed off three penalties in the second, including a 5-on-3 for 1:56 late in the period.
"Huge part of the game," Grubauer said. "We did the right things. We pressured at the right times, we blocked some shots in the lane, clear the puck when we had an opportunity to. … PK, a [heck] of a job today."

Chicago had another opportunity to tie it on the power play after Carson Soucy was called for holding at 12:03 of the third period, but Patrick Kane hit the post at 13:18, and Seth Jones hit the crossbar 15 seconds later.
Eberle then made it 2-0 at 18:21 when he used Calvin de Haan as a screen and shot glove side from the top of the left circle.
"It's unacceptable," Blackhawks forward Alex DeBrincat said. "Even though we're out of the playoffs, we want to win games. It [stinks] losing. It's no fun. We're battling hard for two of three periods, but it's not enough, obviously. We've got to find a way to score some goals and play a full 60 (minutes). That's been our downfall most of the year, and that's why we're in the position we are. These last 11 games, we've got to come out hard and really work on playing a full 60, get ready for next year."
NOTES:Chicago forward Lukas Reichel, who was recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Tuesday, was minus-2 in 15:04 of ice time. … The Blackhawks announced they will retire Marian Hossa's No. 81 next season. Hossa, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with Chicago, signed a one-day contract on Thursday so he could retire as a member of the Blackhawks.