Kraken (21-18-10) at Sharks (13-32-4) | 7:30 p.m.

One: Expansion Draft Originals Back Together and Producing

As select players on Kraken roster, such as goalie Joey Daccord and defenseman Will Borgen prove out GM Ron Francis’ long game with his choices in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, other choices that summer have turned out to be nothing short of brilliant from the first puck drop of the 2021-22 NHL regular season. Two of those choices, Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann, have clicked for the team and each other as linemates from their early days wearing the “S” on their jersey fronts. Lately, with an unfortunate injury suffered by Matty Beniers (since returned to the Kraken lineup), McCann has teamed up again with Eberle on a line with newly acquired Tomas Tatar plus their usual participation of McCann and Eberle on the same power play unit.

In Sunday’s home win over Columbus, McCann scored his 20^th goal of the season on a slick pass from Eberle to make it 2-0 Seattle in the first period. A bit later in the same frame, Eberle scored his second goal of the night – and the game-winner—with McCann earning the primary assist this time around. Both have hot hands, Eberle with five goals in his last eight games and McCann riding his first-ever six-game point streak in nine seasons of NHL play.

“Those two and that line has been good,” said coach Dave Hakstol. “It’s a little bit different combination [with McCann moving back to center reminiscent of Season 1]. We obviously went to that line when we lost Matty for a few games up the middle. So Jared stepped in up the middle and that line showed chemistry early. We've stayed with him as they're continuing to produce, especially on the offensive side. They've done a pretty good job defensively. We’ve liked the line and stayed with the line.

Two: Eberle Production Coincides with Playoff Push

A couple of winters ago, Jordan Eberle was the Kraken’s All-Star Game representative. This early February, he will find time to relax with this young family while maybe scheming ways to keep his mojo going when post-All-Star action resumes for Seattle in Philadelphia for the start of a four-game road trip. The alternate captain has notched three goals and four assists in the last five games – and could be heating up just when needed most.

“He’s been working hard all the way through,” said Dave Hakstol when asked just how encouraging is Eberle’s scoring rise. ‘In the early part of the season, even the first couple months, you are waiting for something, waiting for the finish, waiting for some good things to start mounting one on top of the other. Now we're starting to see that ... it's great timing for us. We've needed that offensive spark and production [Eberle] is providing for us. You'd love to have it, you know, a couple of months ago, but we're real happy to have it right now from him.”

Three: Know the Foe: Sharks 4-3-1 in Last Eight Games

San Jose lost 12 games in a row from mid-December until a Jan. 11 road win in Montreal. That victory was the first of four wins in the last eight games, including impressive wins over Los Angeles (shootout) and the New York Rangers (overtime, on the road). Perhaps by no coincidence, SJS has won three of their last four games, coinciding with the return of captain Logan Couture, who missed the first 45 games of the year with a lower-body injury. Couture scored the decisive goal in the shootout win over LA. He’s also a threat when facing the Kraken, having notched three goals and four assists in seven career games against Seattle.