National Hockey League
Seattle 3, San Jose 1
When: 10:30 PM ET, Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Where: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, California
Referees: Conor O'Donnell, Kyle Rehman
Linesmen: Ryan Galloway, Bevan Mills
Attendance: 12403

Ryan Donato scored against his former team and Chris Driedger made 33 saves as the expansion Seattle Kraken defeated the host San Jose Sharks 3-1 Tuesday night.

Brandon Tanev and Calle Jarnkrok also tallied for the Kraken, who snapped a three-game winless streak (0-2-1). Jarnkrok added an assist.

Logan Couture scored and goaltender James Reimer stopped 27 of 29 shots for the Sharks, who sustained their fourth loss in their past six games.

The game's first goal came at 6:23 of the third period from the Kraken's Shark line, so named because all three of its members -- Donato, Joonas Donskoi and Alexander True -- all previously played in San Jose.

Defenseman Carson Soucy's shot from the right point was tipped by Donskoi, with Donato setting a screen at the top of the crease. Reimer made the initial stop, but Donato backhanded the rebound toward the net and it deflected off the skate off the Sharks' Radim Simek and over the goal line.

Tanev made it 2-0 at 14:18 of the period, taking a backhanded pass from Morgan Geekie on a two-on-one break and beating Reimer from the low slot.

With Reimer pulled for an extra attacker, Couture spoiled Driedger's bid for the first shutout in franchise history at 17:53. Brent Burns' shot from the left point deflected off the skate and right to Couture in the opposite faceoff circle, and Couture put a one-timer into the open side of the net.

Jarnkrok clinched the victory with an empty-netter with six seconds left.

Driedger, making his first appearance since Nov. 29, having recovered from a lower-body injury, won his third consecutive start.

Driedger got some help as teammates Jamie Oleksiak and Adam Larsson both cleared pucks off the goal line early in the second period. The latter came after San Jose's Matt Nieto corralled a rebound, maneuvered around a sprawling Driedger and slid the puck toward an open net. Larsson smothered the puck just shy of the goal line with his stick and coolly cleared it.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Seattle   San Jose
Calle Jarnkrok 2 Points Logan Couture 1
Calle Jarnkrok 1 Goals Logan Couture 1
Calle Jarnkrok 1 Assists Brent Burns 1
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Chris Driedger .971 Save Percentage James Reimer .931
Chris Driedger 33 Saves James Reimer 27
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Seattle 30 3 0-0 1-1 2 19
San Jose 34 1 0-1 0-0 0 20
Upcoming Games
  • San Jose will play their next game at home against Vancouver. The Sharks have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .538 after a loss.
  • Seattle will play their next game on the road against Anaheim. The Kraken have a W/L % of .300 after a win and .389 after a loss.