SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Seattle Kraken never revved up in a Monday matinee loss to a San Jose Sharks team well outside the playoff picture.
If the Sharks score four goals at home, they win free Taco Bell for their fans. Throughout the third period, with the hosts up by three, SAP Center patrons were chanting for their first cheesy freebie in more than a month.
They left hungry and in high spirits. Michael Eyssimont made it 4-0 Sharks with just over three minutes to play and that score held Monday afternoon.
The Sharks have the second-to-worst record in the Pacific Division at 18-29-11 and the Kraken dropped eight goals on them in their last meeting, but a three-goal outburst in the second period sent San Jose to victory.
An own goal ended the stalemate just past the game’s halfway point. Taking a faceoff to the left of goaltender Martin Jones, Yanni Gourde snaked his stick blade around Sharks captain Logan Couture and tried to win the draw to a teammate. He inadvertently sent it past several legs and underneath Jones, who clearly wasn’t expecting that. Couture might never have made contact with it, but he was credited.
About five minutes later, the Kraken missed two chances to get it out of their own end. The Sharks held in a puck at the blue line as Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn rolled it up the boards. Then Dunn tried a more direct exit and turned it over to Evgeny Svechnikov, who went in with enough time to put two chances on Jones. The second shot squeezed through.
The Kraken (32-19-6) couldn’t get out of the period with that reasonable deficit. Noah Gregor pinched in and beat Jones low stick side.
There was spotty sustained pressure in the third period but not enough. With the teams surrounding them in the standings idle on Presidents Day, the Kraken left points on the table.
James Reimer turned in 26 saves for San Jose. Jones finished with 23.
This story will be updated.