Seattle Enters 10-Day Break Scoring Once In Last 5 Periods
Geographically, San Jose is the closest U.S. NHL city to Seattle. In terms of agenda, their franchises are worlds apart.
The Sharks have torn their team down to its studs, now in the midst of a multi-year rebuild. The Kraken are in scoreboard-watching, every two points matter, playoff-race mode.
Yet Tuesday at SAP Center, the Kraken appeared to lack urgency until it was too late to turn it on. Marc-Edouard Vlasic broke a scoreless tie midway through the 3rd period, as San Jose avenged a 7-1 loss in Seattle by shutting out the Kraken 2-0.
The last three 3rd periods have been a nightmare for Seattle. Excluding empty-netters, the Kraken were outscored in the final frame 1-0 by St. Louis, 2-0 by Columbus (18 SOG), and 1-0 by San Jose (14 SOG).
Seattle fails to move into a Western Conference wild card tie, and will have until their next game Feb. 10 in Philadelphia to get the sour taste out of their mouths.
1st Period
Brandon Tanev gets the first grade-A chance, a steal and an open-ice blast, saved by San Jose goalie Mackenzie Blackwood.
Whatever happens the rest of the night, the best news for the Kraken is that winger Andre Burakovky rises from a trip, no worse for wear. Twice this season, Burakovsky's tumbles into corner boards resulted in lengthy injuries.
Seattle spends the full two minutes of power play time in the Sharks zone, but don't connect on any of their three SOG.
Fortunately for the Kraken, Mike Hoffman shoots wide on a late 2-on-1.
Statistical note: the Shark who tripped Burakovsky is Shakir Mukhamadullin, who has one letter in his surname for every shot the Kraken registered in the period.
Seattle had the better of possession, reflected in a 13-3 shots on goal edge. But the scrappy Sharks, winners of three of their last four, battle the Kraken to a nil-nil draw after one period.
I guess if we're looking for goals, we should turn our attention to Seattle's ECHL affiliate, the Kansas City Mavericks.
2nd Period
One other game in the NHL tonight, and it's of interest to all those Kraken scoreboard-watchers. The St. Louis Blues, two points ahead of the Kraken in the Western Conference wild card race, are shut out by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Should Seattle win tonight, they'll improve to 54 points. The Kraken, the Blues, the Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings would then be in a four-way tie at the top of the wild card standings.
Spotted tonight at SAP Center, although this guy doesn't actually have any spots.
Why fans get their money's worth at NHL games: when Seattle's Tye Kartye takes a high-danger shot, San Jose's Nikita Okhotiuk gets in the way. The puck deflects off his face, snapping Okhotiuk's head back and tumbling him down to the ice.
On a team which has been out of contention since training camp, the Sharks are giving an honest effort and more.
After an Eeli Tolvanen steal, All-Star Oliver Bjorkstrand hits the right post from the slot, gets the puck back, and fires off the side of the net.
Jamie Oleksiak takes a borderline holding call at 9:25. Despite solid San Jose zone time, Seattle kills the penalty to keep the game scoreless. The Sharks' one PP shot is just their second of the period.
The Jared McCann-Jordan Eberle-Tomas Tatar line provides late pressure, but that's all.
At the other end, Kraken goalie Joey Daccord has put up a goose egg in the first 40 minutes for the second straight game. Shots were 5-5 in the period, 18-8 Seattle for the game - and still a scoreless tie.
3rd Period
The Sharks allow just under four goals per game, far and away the highest total in the NHL.
Not only are they pitching a two-period shutout against Seattle, the Kraken's only goal in their last four full periods was a Brandon Tanev empty-netter in Sunday's 3rd period against Columbus.
Ruh-roh.
Kraken defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Adam Larsson try to provide offense, with testing shots denied by the glove of Mackenzie Blackwood. Joey Daccord matches Blackwood when the Sharks storm his crease.
Daccord makes another big save on Filip Zadina's knuckling shot from the left circle. Blackwood stops Burakovsky twice.
Captain obvious: hockey is too quirky a game for the Kraken to let the outcome rest on one shot. And the later it gets with a scoreless tie...
Is it possible Seattle has mentally started its mid-season break one game too soon? Could be; the Sharks' Marc-Edouard Vlasic wrists one from distance that beats Daccord blocker-side high. 1-0 San Jose at 7:27.
With five minutes left, Jared McCann's shot rings off the right post.
When Seattle pulls Daccord, Jan Rutta's empty-netter finalizes the 2-0 Sharks win. San Jose has won four of five, while the Kraken will disperse for their extended break licking their wounds.