Yanni Gourde and Adam Larsson each scored in the first period to propel the Seattle Kraken to a 3-0 win over the San Jose Sharks in their final home game of the season on Friday night.
Victor Rask added an empty-net goal in the final minute, and Chris Driedger made 24 saves to earn his first shutout of the season, marking the Kraken’s third shutout overall.
“The Seattle fans came out. That’s maybe the loudest I’ve heard this building,” Driedger said. “Coming out with the building going crazy like it was, was pretty special. And to send it off at home to finish off the year is pretty cool.”
Kaapo Kahkonen made 28 saves for the Sharks, who ended their season on a three-game losing streak.
While both teams were far from playoff contention, Seattle fans were in a celebratory mood despite the Kraken’s challenging inaugural season, which ended with the third-worst record in the NHL. Driedger’s performance ensured the home crowd had a positive send-off, delivering the first home shutout in Kraken history.
“Definitely when you go out for the third period, it’s on the back of your mind. But you just try and play and make the next save,” Driedger said. “I didn’t want to count my chickens before they hatch in this situation, but it was nice to get it done.”
The Kraken provided early excitement by jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first period.
Gourde scored his 21st goal from the top of the right circle, and Larsson followed with a slap shot from the top of the left circle with 1½ minutes left in the period. Larsson’s goal gave him 25 points on the season, a career-high.
“I think we came out of the gate pretty well. The first period was excellent,” Gourde said. “Overall, it was a great game for us, and I’m super happy with the result.”
Seattle rookie Matty Beniers earned an assist on Larsson’s goal, extending his streak of recording at least one point to eight of his nine career games, including all five home games.
San Jose’s best scoring opportunity came on a power play in the second period when Brent Burns’ shot hit the crossbar, narrowly missing the net.
“Those are pivotal moments in the game; we just couldn’t finish it today. I think you could probably see; it’s no secret there wasn’t a lot of sharp guys,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. “Tonight was a team that I thought looked extremely tired and did not have much in the tank, and that’s what happens.”
CELEBRATING THE SEASON
After the game, the Kraken players returned to the ice for a post-game celebration and awards ceremony. Jared McCann was named team MVP, and Gourde was voted fan favorite.
“If you look at the atmosphere out there, before the game, throughout the game, and even after — I don’t think anybody left before we came back out for the presentations and the awards,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “We’ve talked a lot about working to build the foundation in many different areas. That connection with our city, our community, our fans is a real important one.”
NOTES
The Kraken won three of the four meetings between the teams this season. San Jose is the only team Seattle defeated three times. … Larsson is the eighth Kraken player to reach a career-high in points, joining Will Borgen, Ryan Donato, Morgan Geekie, Karson Kuhlman, Kole Lind, Jared McCann, and Carson Soucy. … This marks the third consecutive season that the Sharks have missed the playoffs, the longest stretch in franchise history.
UP NEXT
- Sharks: San Jose’s season has concluded.
- Kraken: Finish the season with a makeup game at Winnipeg on Sunday.
