Sharks @ Kraken: Preview

The San Jose Sharks will take on the Seattle Kraken Saturday night on the back half of a home and home series after the Sharks won on home ice last night 8-5. 

The Sharks offense exploded for 8 goals against the Kraken after potting 3 goals against the Senators and 7 in a win versus the Kings. 

Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith are giving the Sharks a boost as they get more comfortable adapting to the NHL. Celebrini has scored a goal in three straight games giving him an opportunity tonight to tie Sean Monahan in 2013-14 and Jesperi Kotkaniemi in 2018-19 for longest goal streak by an 18-year-old since 2007-08.

19-year-old dWill Smith has silenced some doubters who questioned his NHL readiness by having three consecutive multi-point games where he’s scored 2 goals and notched 3 assists. 

Mikael Granlund extended his team leading point total last night for San Jose to 26 in only 24 games with a goal and assist. Klim Kostin made his presence felt through a Gordie Howe hat trick.

While San Jose has started to solve problems offensively, defensively they haven’t been able solve a recurring issue that has plagued them all season. The Sharks have a bad habit of giving up a goal right after they score themselves. 

Friday night, it only took 56 seconds for the Kraken to tie the game after Timothy Liljegrin opened the scoring. On the Sharks next goal by Kostin to give them a 2-1 lead, they coughed up a goal by Chandler Stevenson only 33 seconds later to tie it at 2. 

Far too often this season the Sharks loosen up on their opposition and get caught on their heels following a goal. 

Earlier in the season, Sharks goalies carried the team’s success, but production between the pipes is starting to falter. The Sharks offense picked up Vitek Vanecek last night who struggled giving up 5 goals with a subpar .839% save percentage.

Mackenzie Blackwood overall has been a bright spot this season, but his last game was his worst of the season so far giving up 4 goals in only 11 shots in a 4-3 loss to Ottawa. Blackwood will have a chance to bounce back tonight. 

The Kraken players to watch include team points leader Jared McCann who has 9 goals and 13 assists in 24 games, and Shane Wright, the highly touted Seattle prospect who scored twice on Vanecek yesterday. 

Prepare for less goals in tonight’s game as both starting goalies face off tonight. Blackwood this season is posting a .902 save percentage averaging 3.14 goals against. The Kraken will have Joey Daccord in net who has posted a save percentage of .916 and averages 2.47 goals against. 

With a win in regulation, the Sharks can tie the Kraken in the standings at 23 points. If Seattle can avoid back-to-back losses against last year’s worst team in the league, the Kraken would be one point behind the Colorado Avalanche and the current holder of the second wild card spot Edmonton Oilers.