For the first time this season, the Seattle Kraken and the San Jose Sharks will meet. The Kraken are 7-8-5 to start the season and currently sit in fourth in the Pacific Division. However, Seattle is also the first team in the division to hit the 20 game mark (tonight will be number 21) so the Kraken may fall further down the standings as teams catch up.
Seattle has earned points in its last four games. Most recently, the team lost in overtime to the Calgary Flames.
When you watch Seattle tonight, be on the lookout for Vince Dunn. The defenseman leads the team with 18 points (3 G, 15 A). Jaden Schwartz and Jared McCann share the team’s goal scoring lead with eight apeice. Shane Wright is back with Seattle’s AHL affiliate, so don’t expect to see the fourth overall pick from the 2022 draft tonight.
The Sharks are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. The team will be without Kevin Labanc tonight. He’s still feeling the effects of that slew foot from the Vancouver Canucks’ Nils Hoglander. Here’s the clip if you haven’t seen it yet.
That's a slew foot by Hoglander. pic.twitter.com/cEDH8aI4Vj
— JD Young (@MyFryHole) November 21, 2023
After the play, Hoglander was ejected and the Sharks received a five-minute power play. The next day, the NHL fined him $2,864.58, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement. After receiving the fine, Hoglander talked to the Vancouver media.
"It goes so fast out there and, I mean, you just try to battle out there."
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 21, 2023
🗣️ Hear from Nils Hoglander following Tuesday's practice before the road trip. pic.twitter.com/NjDI6XKdC4
“I don’t think that was…I didn’t do it on purpose, so, those things happen out there and I didn’t do it on purpose and I think that was a bad play from my side so I take that fine,” said Hoglander.
Hoglander said the refs didn’t say anything to him and he agreed it was a dangerous play.
San Jose Sharks lines
Sounds like the Sharks will go with an 11-7 set up tonight with Labanc injured. That’s according to San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng.
Kahkonen starts. Labanc is out, they're going 11-7. Knyzhov in, otherwise same defense.
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 22, 2023
Labanc is hurt, upper-body, effects of Hoglander slew foot came days later
With that in mind, here’ what we think the Sharks lineup will look like:
Forwards
William Eklund – Tomas Hertl – Fabian Zetterlund
Anthony Duclair – Mikael Granlund – Filip Zadina
Mike Hoffman – Luke Kunin – Jacob MacDonald
Givani Smith – Ryan Carpenter
Defensemen
Mario Ferraro – Ty Emberson
Calen Addison – Jan Rutta
Nikita Okhotiuk – Kyle Burroughs
Nikolai Knyzhov
Goaltenders
Kaapo Kahkonen
Mackenzie Blackwood
Seattle Kraken lines
On the Kraken side of the ice, it will be the customary jersey tonight. Howwever soon, the players will be sporting these sweaters during their first Winter Classic.
From the depths 🌊
— NHL (@NHL) November 22, 2023
A closer look at the @SeattleKraken 2024 NHL #WinterClassic sweater. đź‘€
Shop now at https://t.co/OlcE7fekTF! pic.twitter.com/Z8WSvVUYvk
Not sure if they’re a must-have, but they’re certainly a thousand times better than what the Vegas Golden Knights put out.
It sounds like Joey Daccord will start for the Kraken in net with Philipp Grubauer injured. Chris Driedger was called up to play backup.
Joey Daccord is first off the ice at optional morning skate. Likely starter tonight against the Sharks with Philipp Grubauer out day-to-day.
— Kate Shefte (@KateShefte) November 22, 2023
According to Sound of Hockey, here’s what the Seattle lines looked like during yesterday’s morning skate.
#SeaKraken going with same lines at this morning’s practice.
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 21, 2023
McCann – Beniers – Eberle
Schwartz – Wennberg – Tanev
Tolvanen – Gourde – Bjorkstrand
Kartye – Bellemare – Yamamoto
Dunn – Larsson
Oleksiak – Borgen
Dumoulin – Schultz
Forwards
Jared McCann – Matty Beniers – Jordan Eberle
Jaden Schwartz – Alex Wennberg – Brandon Tanev
Eeli Tolvanen – Yanni Gourde – Oliver Bjorkstrand
Tye Kartye – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – Kailer Yamamoto
Defensemen
Vince Dunn – Adam Larsson
Jamie Oleksiak – Will Borgen
Brian Dumoulin – Justin Schultz
Goaltenders
Joey Daccord
Chris Driedger
How to watch San Jose Sharks at Seattle Kraken
Tonight’s game will be broadcast regionally on NBCSCA. Streaming is available with a subscription to ESPN+ (blackout restrictions may apply). The radio call will be streamed through the Sharks Audio Network. Kraken fans can watch the game on ROOT SPORTS or listen on 93.3 FM.
The game starts at 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET at Climate Pledge Arena.
Check back then to follow along with all of the play-by-play action in the comment section below!
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