Bjorkstrand has 4 points, Kraken score 7 in win against Sharks

SEATTLE -- Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and three assists, and Eeli Tolvanen had two goals and an assist for the Seattle Kraken in a 7-1 win against the San Jose Sharks at Climate Pledge Arena on Wednesday.

Jared McCann and Yanni Gourde each had a goal and an assist for the Kraken (8-8-5), who extended their point streak to five games (3-0-2). Joey Daccord made 13 saves.

"We were ready to go at the drop of the puck,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “We came out, we scored early, but just the way we played from the drop of the puck, I thought, really, it put the momentum where we needed it to be."

Mike Hoffman scored for the Sharks (3-15-1), who have lost five of their past six. Mackenzie Blackwood made 10 saves on 13 shots faced in relief of Kaapo Kahkonen, who allowed four goals on 17 shots in the first period.

“That was embarrassing,” San Jose coach David Quinn said. “We weren’t ready to play. Two breakaways in the first minute and a half, just absolutely embarrassing. We lost every single battle, got beat off the walls, and every time there was a 50-50 puck battle, we were fishing for pucks and got on the wrong side of it.”

Brandon Tanev gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 1:28 of the first on a breakaway goal, deking and slipping it between Kahkonen’s pads.

“Every game, [Tanev] brings intensity, brings pace,” Hakstol said. “It was nice to see him be able to finish tonight. He’s had some good opportunities.”

Bjorkstrand made it 2-0 at 10:36 when he scored on a rebound off the end boards after Gourde’s shot went wide of the net on a 2-on-1 rush.

Adam Larsson extended it to 3-0 at 11:07, gathering a bouncing puck at the right face-off dot and shooting it off the post and in.

Gourde pushed it to 4-0 at 18:45 after a give-and-go with Will Borgen. Gourde shot from a sharp angle and banked it in off Kahkonen’s pads.

“We just can’t start a game like that in the NHL,” Sharks forward Anthony Duclair said. “You’re going to get embarrassed. We’ve been embarrassed before this season, but nothing like that in the first period. That was just unacceptable.”

Quinn said, “When you don’t skate and just run around chasing the puck, that’s what’s going to happen. It’s the National Hockey League. They’ve got real good players over there.”

Seattle’s line of Tolvanen, Gourde, and Bjorkstrand combined for four goals and nine total points.

"I think we're feeling it,” Bjorkstrand said. “Maybe a few lucky bounces off the glass, but we like playing together, and I think it just kind of went our way today.”

McCann made it 5-0 at 3:36 of the second period on the power play, scoring on a wrist shot from the left circle, and Tolvanen extended it to 6-0 at 2:22 of the third period when he scored off his own rebound off the end boards.

"It's nice, of course,” Tolvanen said. “There's been a couple games that I haven't scored, and I've had a lot of chances. So, of course it's nice to get it in.”

Hoffman made it 6-1 at 15:32 after Nikita Okhotiuk’s shot off the end boards gave Hoffman an open net, and Tolvanen scored 14 seconds later at 15:46 for the 7-1 final.

"Tomorrow's Thanksgiving,” Tolvanen said. “So, everybody can have a good night tonight, and enjoy their families and friends tomorrow.”

NOTES: Sharks defenseman Jan Rutta left the game after slamming into the end boards at 10:49 of the first period. Quinn did not provide an update. … It was the Kraken's second seven-goal game of the season (7-3 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 19) and matched the Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks for the most among all teams. In 2022-23, Seattle finished the season with the most seven-goal games across the NHL with eight, one more than the Edmonton Oilers (seven). ... Bjorkstrand has seven points (one goal, six assists) over his past five games.