The Seattle Kraken were in a giving mood on Thanksgiving eve. They hope to be a bit more cutthroat on Black Friday in a road game against the San Jose Sharks.
The Kraken took just their third loss in their past nine games on Wednesday, a 5-2 decision to visiting Anaheim to split a home-and-home series with a Pacific Division rival. What was galling for Seattle was that three of the Ducks’ goals came after turnovers in the Kraken’s end of the rink.
“I think that says it all,” said Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand, who tallied along with teammate Eeli Tolvanen. “We’ve just got to bear down, make the right plays, get it out. I can’t go through the plays and what the mistakes were, but if we turn it over, just find a way to get over the blue (line) or make a better play depending on the situation.”
Seattle rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the score but managed to get only two of 44 shots past Anaheim goaltender John Gibson.
“(The Ducks) were a little harder around the walls, and they were a little harder around our net,” Kraken coach Dan Bylsma said.
The turnovers led to Seattle goalie Joey Daccord allowing more than four goals for the first time this season.
The Kraken reached Thanksgiving with an 11-11-1 record and two points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
The Kraken have accomplished that with defenseman Vince Dunn appearing in just four games because of a pair of injuries and with captain Jordan Eberle out for the next three months after pelvis surgery last week.
“Record maybe could be a little better than it is, but we’re about .500, which is nice,” said Seattle defenseman Brandon Montour, one of two big offseason signings along with forward Chandler Stephenson.
The Kraken will get their first look at this summer’s No. 1 overall draft pick, the Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini, in the Friday matinee.
Celebrini scored his seventh goal in just 13 games in a 4-3 loss to the visiting Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.
The Sharks rallied from a two-goal deficit on third-period tallies by Celebrini and fellow rookie Will Smith, the fourth overall pick in 2023, but allowed the Senators to score the winner with 4:12 remaining.
Ottawa won despite putting just 11 shots on goal.
“Results were (poor),” San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “We played some good hockey. (We’ve) got to be smarter in some scenarios, which we’re learning. (It was) a frustrating night.”
Celebrini, who aggravated a hip injury in the season opener and missed a dozen games, had two goals and an assist on Monday in a 7-2 rout of the Los Angeles Kings.
“My teammates, they’re setting me up and putting me in good spots,” Celebrini told NBC Sports California. “I can’t complain about them.”
San Jose forward Barclay Goodrow left the game against the Senators in the first period with an upper-body injury, and he was placed on injured reserve Thursday. The Sharks recalled forward Ethan Cardwell from their AHL affiliate to take the roster spot.
The Friday game will open a home-and-home series between the teams. The Sharks and Kraken are also scheduled to meet Saturday in Seattle.
–Field Level Media