Devin Cooley earned his second NHL win on Thursday night, with emphasis on the word “earned.” The Los Gatos native stopped 49 of the 50 shots he faced from the Seattle Kraken, earning a .980 save percentage and 1.00 goals against average. His expected goals against was 5.94, according to Natural Stat Trick. The San Jose Sharks beat the Kraken 3-1.
Cooley faced some incredibly difficult shots in his three periods of play, but managed to stay with the puck and keep it in front of him. That’s something Bret Hedican pointed out on the broadcast as Cooley helped keep the puck out of the net in the waning moments of the game.
With his dad in the stands, Cooley secures his first career road win 🍾 pic.twitter.com/8kcMKDu9C7
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 12, 2024
Cooley made another strong save earlier in the third period on what looked like a good goal for Jaden Schwartz. Cooley made the initial stop on a shot from above the faceoff circle but could not wrap his glove around it to freeze the play. Schwartz jumped on the puck and tried to move to the side to evade Cooley’s outstretched leg, but Cooley stretched even further, using his new white pads to stop it. The play prevented a sure goal.
Devin Cooley is showing off that flexibility! pic.twitter.com/RZijSjolSL
— JD Young (@MyFryHole) April 12, 2024
Cooley had a couple of other impressive saves earlier in the game as well.
Cooley's circus saves keep it scoreless early 🎪 pic.twitter.com/oojq8GdTCN
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 12, 2024
Congrats, Devin, on your second NHL win and first road win. You were, without a doubt, the first star of the game.
Cooley stole the game, part deux
This was, by all accounts, a game that the Sharks should not have won. The team was dramatically outshot throughout, with the final shot count 50-23 in favor of the Kraken.
When you look at the Corsi differential in all situations courtesy of Natural Stat Trick, you see that Seattle maintained possession for large swaths of the game.
Luke Kunin scored the first goal for the Sharks with assists from Henry Thrun and Klim Kostin. Brian Dumoulin tied it up for the Kraken later in the first period, but the Sharks added a pair of goals in the second. Kyle Burroughs scored with assists from William Eklund and Thrun. 51 seconds later, Fabian Zetterlund found the back of the net for his team-leading 22nd goal of the season. Mikael Granlund and Eklund assisted on the play.
Sharks prevent Kraken from making the playoffs
Finally, time to rub a little salt water in the wounds of the Kraken.
While this win did nothing to the Kraken’s playoff hopes, Seattle was already mathematically eliminated, it did offer something telling about the Kraken. Seattle, like the St. Louis Blues before them, failed to win the “easy games” that help you get into the playoffs.
Fans of the Sharks teams dating back a ways will remember how back-breaking those losses to teams that they “should have beat” were. It left the Sharks scraping for points as the end of the season neared and crossing their fingers that the teams ahead of them would make a misstep.
The Kraken tied the season series with the Sharks, thus missing out on four points that could have kept the team in the playoff hunt. When you also lose those games to the Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes, you’re a bubble team at best.
While the Sharks didn’t entirely keep the Kraken out of the playoffs, the team put a spotlight on one of the Kraken’s big weaknesses this season. Playing down to its competition.
Highlight of the night Sharks at Kraken April 11, 2024
Let’s give Burroughs some love since he doesn’t get it often. Eklund enters the zone, let’s his forwards drag the defense down low and then finds Burroughs jetting in as the trailing man.
BURROUGHS GO-AHEAD GOAL 🚨 pic.twitter.com/zWa5TxdCIu
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 12, 2024
Good play all around.
The Sharks return to San Jose for the season finale at SAP Center. That’s Saturday night against the Minnesota Wild.
As many of you know, Fear the Fin is an independent site run by Sharks fans for Sharks fans. Help keep Fear the Fin independent by contributing to our