“We have a long memory,” said Seattle Kraken coach Lane Lambert before Saturday’s rematch with the San Jose Sharks. “We know what happened last time.” The Kraken didn’t need that long of a memory – just 10 days ago, San Jose rumbled into Climate Pledge Arena and pounded Seattle, 6-1.
Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer, who didn’t even expect to play, made sure the Kraken would exact revenge with a 4-1 victory. Starter Matt Murray was hurt in the final seconds of the 1st period; in relief, Grubauer made several spectacular stops among his 15 middle period saves, and continued to excel in the 3rd.
Late 2nd period goals 38 seconds apart by Adam Larsson and Eeli Tolvanen broke a 1-1 tie. Jaden Schwartz had the other two Seattle goals, one into an empty net, while Chandler Stephenson and Jamie Oleksiak chipped in two assists each.
1st Period
Matt Murray gets the start in the Seattle net, fresh off an outstanding 33-save effort in a 2-1 shootout loss to Columbus. He’ll be opposed by San Jose’s Alex Nedeljkovic.
Ryker Evans sets the tone with a center-ice two-hander into the back of an unsuspecting Tyler Toffoli, who was headed off the ice, but first found himself on the ice.
Kraken puck luck: a Sharks shot by Philipp Kurashev from the inside edge of the left circle hits the far post, slides across the goal line and smacks the near post, but inexplicably never crosses that line.
As the puck dances in the crease, defensemen Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson (#6 in KHN screengrab at left) sweep it away an instant before 10-goal Sharks whiz kid Macklin Celebrini can poke it home.
Thus reprieved, the Kraken score first at 8:14. Chandler Stephenson walks in from right wing, his centering pass deflecting off Jaden Schwartz for his 6th goal of the season.
Late in the period, Murray flashes out a pad to stop a Celebrini drive. The teen center burned Seattle for a goal and two assists in the Sharks victory at CPA on Nov. 5. Brandon Montour takes one for the team, felled briefly after blocking a hard shot from Kurashev.
Double trouble for Seattle at 19:42. Ex-Kraken Alex Wennberg ties the game for San Jose on a power play, tipping a backdoor pass from Celebrini. 2024’s 1st overall draft choice, who had drawn the penalty by Ryan Lindgren, collected his 17th assist.
After the goal, Murray leaves for the dressing room with an apparent injury, replaced in net for the final 18 seconds by Philipp Grubauer. San Jose had the edge in puck possession, physicality, and SOGs (7-6).
2nd Period
When a Kaapo Kakko door closes, a Freddy Gaudreau window opens. Kakko, injured just minutes after scoring his first goal of the season in Thursday’s win over Winnipeg, is listed as week-to-week. Kakko, originally hurt in pre-season, has played in just seven games. Gaudreau returns for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury Oct. 16 against Ottawa. Recent healthy scratch Jani Nyman also drew back into the Kraken lineup.
Kraken goalie Murray has been impressive for his new team, stopping 62 of the last 66 shots against, a .939 save percentage in that span. But he’s done for the night with a lower-body injury. Grubauer doesn’t have the chance to ease in, making five superb stops in the first 2:21, including point-blank highway robbery on Ty Dellandrea.
Overlapping abbreviated power plays for each team doesn’t break the tie. Neither does a Schwartz 2-on-1 with Eeli Tolvanen.
When Vince Dunn can’t keep the puck in at the left point, Will Smith has a cold-turkey breakaway. Grubauer gets a piece with a poke check, then stops the original shot with his left pad. Smith’s trailing skate knocks the puck into the net, but officials rule a kicking motion, which disallows the score.
The Sharks get a breakaway, Grubauer makes the initial stop but then the puck goes in. There is a long review and they rule it a…distinct kicking motion???
No goal. Not sure about that call…#SeaKraken catch a break here pic.twitter.com/bI4h6chaZI
— 𝘿𝙖𝙫𝙮 𝙅𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨’ 𝙇𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙢 (@DavyJonesLR) November 16, 2025
Jaden Schwartz saves another goal with a full dive, absorbing Celebrini’s left circle blast with Grubauer late coming across. However, the NHL’s top-ranked road power play gets a third opportunity when Dunn takes a slash. This time, Grubauer does get across for a sparkling glove save on Celebrini, then a great pad save to deny the young superstar. A Grubi pad save on a deflection kills the penalty.
Pardon my all-caps: IF THIS ISN’T THE BEST PERIOD OF HOCKEY PHILIPP GRUBAUER HAS PLAYED AS A KRAKEN, TELL ME ONE THAT’S BETTER.
Seattle finally achieves sustained pressure in the SJ zone. Larsson lifts a harmless looking wrist shot from the far boards – and it goes in! The Kraken take a 2-1 lead at 16:05 on the Big Cat’s first of the year.
38 seconds later, Chandler Stephenson finds Tolvanen on a 2-on-1, and this time, Tolvanen buries it for goals in back-to-back games, and three in his last five (he didn’t have one in his first 13 games). The goal practically blows the roof off the arena.
Shots in a fast-paced middle frame – that gave fans the price of admission all by itself – were 15-10 Sharks.
3rd Period
Not even one of those recent Kraken self-inflicted wounds (SIWs) can faze the Kraken – in this case, a Tye Kartye puck-over-the-glass minor. The best scoring chance is Gaudreau’s shorthanded breakaway that missed high.
Another SIW: Wennberg drives past Jordan Eberle shorthanded, forcing the captain to take a holding penalty. Grubauer stands tall, earning a whack of approval on the pads by Larsson. A Matty Beniers block didn’t hurt. Seattle has killed the last four Sharks man advantages.
Seattle gets another shorthanded “opportunity” – their third of the period – with 5:18 left when Gaudreau trips Ryan Reaves. On the PK, Oleksiak loses his stick, William Eklund hits the outside of the post, San Jose calls their timeout, the Sharks pull Nedeljkovic for a two-man advantage – and Seattle still doesn’t yield a goal.
But they get one. Schwartz, his second of the night, into that empty cage at 16:43. Also of note: Seattle holds San Jose to five 3rd period shots.
Up Next
Seattle returns to the road for four games, starting Tuesday in Detroit. The Kraken don’t return home until hosting the Dallas Stars at CPA on the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, Nov. 26.