Kailer Yamamoto scores twice to help Kraken blast Blackhawks

[December 15, 2023]  Kailer Yamamoto scored twice as the Seattle Kraken defeated the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 7-1 on Thursday night.
 
Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and two assists, Tye Kartye, Eeli Tolvanen, Jared McCann and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare also tallied and Will Borgen and rookie Ryker Evans added two assists apiece as the

Dec 14, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Kraken forward Yanni Gourde (37) battle Chicago Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom (40) in front of the goal during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports

Kraken won their second in a row following an eight-game skid (0-6-2). Goaltender Joey Daccord made 21 saves.

It was the 10th victory of the season for the Kraken, leaving Chicago and San Jose tied with a league-low nine wins apiece.

Taylor Raddysh scored for the Blackhawks, who suffered their third consecutive defeat. Goalie Arvid Soderblom stopped 17 of 24 shots before being replaced by Petr Mrazek at 3:28 of the third.

Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard, the top overall pick in this summer's NHL draft, was kept off the scoresheet, snapping a 10-game road point streak.

Yamamoto, who got the winner in Tuesday's slump-busting 4-0 victory against Florida, again opened the scoring, this time at 3:07 of the first. Borgen broke up a Chicago clearing attempt and Yamamoto picked up the puck in the neutral zone, skated over the blue line and beat Soderblom to the far post with a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle.

Yamamoto scored again at 17:47 of the period. Vince Dunn's shot from just outside the top of right faceoff circle was knocked down by Chicago defenseman Nikita Zaitsev in front of the net, but the puck fell to Yamamoto who swiped it inside the right post.

The Blackhawks pulled within 2-1 at 3:03 of second as Raddysh put a wrist shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle just inside the near post following a Seattle turnover deep in its own end.

The Kraken pulled away with three second-period goals.

At 4:22, Bjorkstrand's centering pass from the left wing corner went off the skate of Chicago's Jason Dickinson and into the net.

Kartye made it 4-1 at 14:43 as he tipped Borgen's shot from the right point past Soderblom.

Tolvanen extended the lead at 17:09 after a nifty cross-slot pass from Yanni Gourde.

McCann scored on the power play and Bellemare tallied 21 seconds later early in the third to cap the scoring.

--Field Level Media

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