Sharks outgun Kraken 8-5 in first game of back-to-back

Jake Walman scored twice and Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist as the San Jose Sharks defeated the visiting Seattle Kraken 8-5 Friday afternoon in the opener of a home-and-home series between the Pacific Division rivals.

Will Smith, Mikael Granlund and Klim Kostin also had a goal and an assist for the Sharks, who play Saturday at Seattle. Timothy Liljegren and Ethan Cardwell also scored, William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund added two assists apiece and goaltender Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves.

Shane Wright scored twice and Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two helpers for the Kraken, who lost for the sixth time in their past seven road games. Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and an assist, Yanni Gourde also tallied and Ryker Evans added two assists. Goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped 19 of 26 shots and dropped to 1-7-0 this season.

The teams went back and forth until the Sharks scored three goals in a span of 5:39 in the second period to take a 6-4 lead. Celebrini capped the flurry with a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle after a Seattle turnover just outside its own blue line led to a two-on-one rush.

Gourde scored on a rebound at 19:43 of the second to pull the Kraken within a goal entering the third period.

Cardwell scored his first NHL goal at 7:37 of the third and Walman added an empty-netter at 15:13 to provide the final margin.

Liljegren opened the scoring at 2:07 of the first period on a one-timer from the right faceoff dot. Seattle's Bjorkstrand tied it at 3:03 when he was left alone in front of the net and lifted a wrister into the upper right corner.

The Sharks regained the lead at 16:25 on Kostin's rebound, but Seattle tied it at 16:58 as the puck slid to Stephenson alone in front after a scramble in the faceoff circle and he put a backhander between Vanecek's pads.

Wright tallied at 19:16 on a rebound off the end boards to give the Kraken a 3-2 lead.

The Sharks tied it again at 2:45 of the second as Smith scored on a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle.

Seattle made it 4-3 on the power play at 7:20 of the period on Wright's one-timer from the bottom of the left circle.

--Field Level Media