But just over a minute later, the Sharks notched their own response goal (scoring within two minutes of another goal) to get the score back to 4-4. Defense Jake Walman ripped a rocket (measured as the Sharks’ fastest shot of the season. Over the next five-and-a-half minutes, San Jose jumped out to a 6-4 advantage. The goals were scored by Sharks leading goal scorer Mikael Granlund, his 10th of the season, at 13:10, then less than a minute later, Macklin Celebrini, the first overall pick in the 2024 Draft, scored his eighth of the season. On the Granlund goal, Grubauer quickly flung the puck from his net. The Celebrini goal came off a Ryker Evans turnover in the neutral zone, affording Fabian Zetterlund a rush chance, dishing to Celebrini, whose shot was so hard it quickly ricocheted in and out of the back of the net. Grubauer flung that puck out of the net, too, as well as the seventh goal of the game tallied by the just-called-up Cardwell in the third period.
To their credit, the Kraken skaters fought hard to halve the lead, still working at top pace in the final minutes. The effort paid off, with Yanni Gourde battling a net-front scrum to pull the Kraken within one after a bevvy of scoring chances late second period.
First Shots on Goal Both Go In
This game didn’t start positively for either goaltender on Friday. The home-squad Sharks scored on their first shot on the goal just over two minutes into this matinee affair. San Jose defenseman Timothy Liljegren scored his third goal of the season with assists from Tyler Tofolli and his linemate and an original Kraken, Alex Wennberg. Liljegren’s hard shot from the right faceoff circle ripped the upper left corner with the Kraken starting goalie deep in the crease.
Just 56 seconds later, the Kraken line of Shane Wright centering Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen continued their strong work together since the rookie Wright was reinserted into the lineup last Monday in Anaheim. With extended Seattle possession on the offensive end, the Sharks were attempting to exit the zone a couple of strides from the blue line. But Wright, who was on or around the puck on every shift during the first 20 minutes, disrupted the exit attempt to free up Tolvanen. The Finnish forward backed a diagonal pass from atop the left of the faceoff circle, finding Bjorkstrand near-right of the goal mouth for a quick-released that elevated past SJS goalie and original Kraken expansion draft pick Vitek Vanacek.
