SAN JOSE — Vince Dunn scored 1:58 into overtime and the Seattle Kraken beat the San Jose Sharks 2-1 on Thursday night.
Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and assist for the Kraken, tying the score with his 15th of the season on a breakaway at 7:03 of the third period.
Philipp Grubauer stopped 31 shots, and Dunn extended his point streak to 11 games — especially impressive for a defenseman.
“There was a will to him tonight,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said about Dunn. “You can see his confidence offensively with the puck. At times he controlled some of the play, and maybe fitting that he was the guy to make the play on the winning goal.”
Sharks forward William Eklund scored on a penalty shot for his second career goal, both in the last two games. James Reimer was terrific in net, finishing with 30 saves.
Seattle Kraken’s Vince Dunn (29) celebrates his 2-1 game-winning goal against the San Jose Sharks in overtime at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
The Sharks are now 1-7-3 at SAP Center since mid-February, as their record at their formerly formidable home is now 6-19-10.
The Sharks are now 5-14 this season in games that have gone past regulation time. Only the Calgary Flames have as many losses.
“It was a good hockey game. A hard game. There wasn’t a lot of room out there. I really liked our effort. I thought we did a lot of good things, just weren’t able to capitalize on some of our chances,” San Jose coach David Quinn said. “I thought we defended a lot better tonight. I liked a lot about our game, and it’s unfortunate.”
Dunn beat Reimer through the legs to win it.
The San Jose Sharks leave the ice following their 2-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken in overtime at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
“Just fortunate, I think. Just get it on net and try not to turn it over,” Dunn said. “If you miss a shot wide, it can turn the other way, and it’s an odd-man rush the opposite way.
“So for me, just give myself a chance. I think it was a fortunate goal for me. Just kind of caught them on the change a little bit. I think just reading the pre-scout and everything (helped).”
Eklund’s goal early in the third was the first penalty shot a Sharks player had converted since Logan Couture scored against the Minnesota Wild on March 11, 2019.
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“It was nice to get a goal,” Eklund said. “I was just trying to find my spot there.”
Less than six minutes later, Yanni Gourde found Bjorkstrand streaking through the middle of the ice and he beat Reimer over his catching glove.