The Kraken find themselves in a rare position entering Thursday night — coming off a victory.
Seattle will face the San Jose Sharks at Climate Pledge Arena, the last team they had defeated, on Dec. 14, before they edged the Chicago Blackhawks in a shootout Monday.
The previous time the Kraken broke an extended losing streak, they went on a bit of a run. They snapped a six-game skid with a win over the Washington Capitals and went on to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers at the end of November.
The Kraken have a considerably easier schedule this time around, but the games matter more because they are against Western Conference teams.
They enter Thursday night’s game with a new addition in forward Karson Kuhlman, who is expected to make his Kraken debut a day after his first practice.
“He’ll be in the lineup tonight,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said after an optional morning skate. “So beyond that in terms of spots and combinations and things like that, coming off (an) optional morning skate, it just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to disclose the rest of the combinations, but he will be in the lineup tonight.”
The Kraken’s win Monday was the fourth consecutive game in which they scored fewer than three goals (shootout goals do not count as a goal).
Perhaps Kuhlman can provide a spark, and the offense could get a boost if Morgan Geekie returns from an upper-body injury.
Projected Kraken lines
Based on Thursday’s morning skate:
Forwards:
Marcus Johansson-Jared McCann-Jordan Eberle
Calle Jarnkrok-Yanni Gourde-Alexander Wennberg
Karson Kuhlman-Morgan Geekie-Joonas Donskoi
Ryan Donato-Riley Sheahan-Alexander True
Defense:
Will Borgen-Mark Giordano
Adam Larsson-Vince Dunn
Carson Soucy-Jeremy Lauzon
Notes
- Philipp Grubauer will start in net after earing the win against Chicago on Monday night.
- Geekie has missed the past three games. He practiced in red, noncontact jersey on Wednesday but was in a regular jersey Thursday morning.
- Defenseman Jamie Oleksiak is doubtful after missing practice on Wednesday because of a non-COVID illness.
Broadcast Info
Time/place: 7 p.m., Climate Pledge Arena.
TV: ROOT Sports.
Radio: KJR-AM (950).
About the Sharks
This season: 21-17-2 (last game: 6-1 loss vs. Los Angeles).
Player to watch: Timo Meier.
Notes: Timo Meier scored five goals against the Kings on Monday. … The Sharks’ 83 percent on the penalty kill is eighth-best in the NHL. … San Jose’s 11 wins in one-goal games are third-most in the league. … The Sharks have blocked 641 shots, second-most in the NHL. … San Jose has the fourth-most take-aways in the league with 359.
Projected lines
Forwards:
Balcers-Hertl-Meier
Dahlen-Couture-Gregor
Cogliano-Bonino-Nieto
Viel-Weatherby-Raska
Defense:
Ferraro-Burns
Megna-Karlsson
Vlasic-R. Merkley
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