Octopuses fight the sharks in an afternoon tilt

The Seattle Kraken return to California for their first back-to-back meeting with the San Jose Sharks.

The Kraken and Sharks put Wednesday night’s losses behind them and will both look to get back on the winning list with an afternoon win. The Kraken were defeated by the Anaheim Ducks 5-2, in a physical altercation that followed their previous matchup just two days earlier. The Sharks dominated the Ottawa Senators but were unable to get the win, losing 4-3 despite outshooting the Senators 39-11.

Related: Kraken show little reaction to Ducks’ physical play and post-whistle altercations

Sharks rookie sensation Macklin Celebrini has been on fire since returning from injury. The 18-year-old has scored up to seven goals and 11 points in his first 13 games.

The Kraken’s young center has also been playing better lately after being cut three straight times. Shane Wright has one goal and two assists, both key markers, in two games since returning to the lineup. The 20-year-old looked more confident and played more freely and confidently.

The Kraken have a record of 11-11-1 and are out of contention for the playoffs. They are four points behind the Vancouver Canucks, but the Canucks still have two games left against the Kraken. Games against rebuilding teams full of young, inexperienced players are games the Kraken must win if they want to make the playoffs.

Kraken projected lines:

McCann-Beniers-Burakovsky
Schwartz-Stephenson-Winterton
Tolvanen-Wright-Björkstrand
Katrye Gourde Tanev

Oleksiak Montour
Evans Larsson
Mahura Borgen

Daccord
Grubauer

Expected Sharks lineup:

Eklund-Celebrini-Zetterlund
Kunin-Wienberg-Toffoli
Kostin Granlund Smith
Dellandrea-Strum-Cardwell

Walman Ceci
Ferraro Liljegren
Thrun-Rutta

Vanecek
Blackwood

Puck drop will take place at 12:30 p.m. PST at the Sap Center.

Be sure to bookmark THN’s Seattle Kraken site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and more.

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