Kraken (11-12-1) vs Sharks (8-13-5) | 7:00 p.m

First: time to center yourself

A three-pointer from Chandler Stephenson with a goal and two assists, coupled with a two-goal effort from Shane Wright and another goal from Yanni Gourde, gave the Kraken some much-needed power from the middle of the ice on Friday Jose.

In order for the Kraken to improve their overall record, they need more offense from the midfielders. Especially in the power play, which had major problems before Friday’s match. Stephenson won faceoffs at a rate unmatched by the Kraken’s centers in the franchise’s three previous seasons, but his creativity and ability to score are the reason the Kraken got him.

Before Friday’s clash, the four primarily center players had combined for nine goals all season. This means that the four goals in the game against San Jose alone increased the total by 44%. This must continue.

Second: Joey has to stop the puck

Joey Daccord will be in goal on Saturday and will need to continue his trend of recent weeks for any Kraken offensive push to be meaningful. The 13 goals the Kraken have allowed in their last two games won’t translate into many wins no matter what the offense does. Daccord had allowed two goals or fewer in six straight starts before allowing five in his final game against Anaheim. For the Kraken to actually win on Saturday, they will need to stop pucks at a similar rate to give their offense time to get going. Vince Dunn is about to return and is providing a real offensive boost. But until that happens, the Kraken need their goaltenders to produce wins even on nights when they might only score two or three goals.

Third, know your enemy

No one will confuse the Sharks with the 1985 Edmonton Oilers, so giving up eight goals to them on Friday was in no way acceptable for the Kraken.

The Sharks were last allowed eight goals in a game against Arizona on December 29, 2021, and the eighth goal was only awarded after a shootout. The last time they actually scored eight real goals in a game was on April 17, 2018 in the playoffs against Anaheim. So, yeah, not a standout moment for the Kraken goalkeeper or defense, both of which will have to put in a lot of effort on Saturday to secure two crucial points.

Sure, the Sharks have played better lately than the team that suffered nine straight losses to start the season. And yes, they have Macklin Celebrini — who scored on Friday and has four goals and six points in his last three games — and a number of high-profile draft talent due to the dismal past few seasons. But this is a team the Kraken must beat. And they do that by stepping up defensively and winning a close game instead of using run-and-gun tactics.