Seattle Kraken's playoff hopes fade with loss to Blackhawks

Kraken fall further behind in Western Conference playoff race with disappointing defeat to lowly Chicago team.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 6:34am

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The Seattle Kraken's playoff hopes took another major hit with a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night. Despite a late rally, the Kraken were thoroughly outplayed for the first two periods and now find themselves six points out of a playoff spot with just seven games remaining in the regular season.

Why it matters

The Kraken had been solidly in the playoff race earlier this season, but a disastrous post-Olympic break stretch has seen them plummet down the standings. This latest defeat to a non-playoff team is a major blow to their fading postseason aspirations and raises questions about the team's confidence and ability to turn things around in the final weeks.

The details

The Kraken fell behind 2-0 early and were outshot and outplayed for the first 40 minutes by the Blackhawks, who are already eliminated from playoff contention. Seattle goaltender Philipp Grubauer kept them in the game with 27 saves, but the Kraken offense couldn't generate enough sustained pressure until a late rally that fell short. Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour criticized the team's lack of urgency and fight, while coach Lane Lambert acknowledged the team's dwindling confidence.

  • The Kraken have gone 5-12-2 since returning from the Olympic break.
  • Seattle has just 7 games remaining in the regular season.
  • The Kraken were 2 points out of a playoff spot prior to this loss.

The players

Brandon Montour

Kraken defenseman who criticized the team's lack of urgency and fight.

Lane Lambert

Head coach of the Seattle Kraken who acknowledged the team's dwindling confidence.

Philipp Grubauer

Kraken goaltender who made 27 saves to keep his team in the game.

Jaden Schwartz

Kraken forward who scored a goal in the third period to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Kaapo Kakko

Kraken forward who scored a goal in the third period to make it 3-2.

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What they’re saying

“I said it numerous times, that this year you're going to get the best; it doesn't matter who you're playing, Chicago or Colorado, you got to be playing your best hockey. And if you're not showing up each and every night, results are going to end up how they've been going since [the Olympic] break”

— Brandon Montour, Kraken defenseman

“A game of that magnitude to come out flat, clearly there is something that has to change”

— Lane Lambert, Kraken head coach

“We're not getting the timely goals right now to sort of turn things around for us, but I just don't think there's a lot of confidence with our hockey team right now. Obviously when you lose all these games, and certainly it's inexcusable to lose all these games at home.”

— Lane Lambert, Kraken head coach

What’s next

The Kraken will be on the road for their next two games, Monday night in Winnipeg and Tuesday in Minnesota. Both are must-win games if Seattle has any chance of keeping their faint playoff hopes alive.

The takeaway

The Kraken's disappointing loss to the lowly Blackhawks has all but extinguished their playoff hopes, exposing a lack of confidence and urgency within the team. With just seven games left, the Kraken face an uphill battle to salvage their season and will need to find a way to rediscover their early-season form if they want to avoid a premature end to their campaign.