Kraken vs. Sharks 1st Period Recap

We begin with this note from the accounting department.

I would have gone with, "The Kraken Will Be Wright Back."

To make room for rookies Shane Wright and Ryan Winterton, as well as the return of defenseman Vince Dunn, Kraken asked to sit this one out: recent callup Logan Morrison, as well as Kailer Yamamoto, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Tomas Tatar, and Justin Schultz.

Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood shut out St. Louis Saturday. His streak ends 29 seconds into this game, when Matty Beniers fires over his shoulder for a 1-0 Kraken lead.

Beniers' 13th ensures there won't be a repeat of Seattle's last visit to the Shark Tank, when they lost 2-0 just before the All-Star break.

The Kraken have great early opportunities to pad their lead.

• Three SOG yield no goals on a Seattle PP
• Blackwood's glove save foils a Jared McCann breakaway
• Tye Kartye's goal is wiped away after a San Jose coach's challenge for Brandon Tanev being offside

Nine minutes into the period, Mario Ferraro registers San Jose's first shot. The Kraken have eight, not including the Kartye goal that didn't count.

At 11:26, Oliver Bjorkstrand scores one that does, somehow. There's about a postage stamp-sized opening between Blackwood's shoulder, the post and the crossbar - Bjorkstrand threads the needle for the All-Star's 20th goal.

Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen already have multi-point games.

Beniers has his name taken off the scoresheet for what was temporarily his 100th NHL point. Then he goes on the scoresheet for tripping.

Using their 6th-ranked home power play, the Sharks cut the lead to 2-1. Fabian Zetterlund beats Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer at 14:19.

Aided by the PP, San Jose has eight of the last nine shots.

Wright restores the two goal Seattle lead at 17:06 using a precision give-and-go with Jordan Eberle. Wright's other linemate, Jaden Schwartz, picks up the second apple.

For Wright, his first Kraken goal this season, second in the NHL; for Eberle, his 700th career point.

San Jose actually outshoots Seattle in the period 11-10, but trails by two where it counts after 20 minutes.