The Sharks get shut out by the Seattle Kraken 3-0 in their final game of the 2021-22 season.
Team Teal didn't have much going for them in their season finale. The main highlight for the Sharks was a nifty move by Thomas Bordeleau in the first period. Otherwise, it was all Seattle in this one. The first two goals by the Kraken were scored in the first period by Yanni Gourde and Adam Larsson respectively. The last Kraken goal came late in the third period on an empty-netter from Victor Rask.
Kaapo Kahkonen was given the start in net in the Sharks' last game of the season, recording 28 saves in the Sharks' third-straight loss.
The Sharks finished their 2021-22 campaign with a 32-37-13 record with 77 points, good for sixth in the Pacific Division and 22nd in the overall standings. Their final draft lottery odds sit at three percent in the Shane Wright sweepstakes after the Ducks lose to the Stars 4-2 to finish a point below the Sharks in the overall standings.
Overall, despite the disappointing ending and dismal stretches of the season, this past season for the Sharks was still better than their previous two seasons, especially since goaltending improved significantly, the young players made strides, and Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl had all-star caliber performances. With that being said, changes need to be made to this team this offseason, and as long as those changes are made and they continue to improve, the future is bright for this Sharks team.
It will be about four months before the Sharks hit the ice again. I will miss watching Sharks hockey, but at the same time, I am relieved that their season has come to a close with the way much of this season has gone for them.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin next week, and despite the Sharks missing the playoffs for the third-consecutive season, I am excited for the playoffs to get underway. I plan to fill out two playoff brackets: one consisting of who I want to see win and advance, and one consisting of who I think will win and advance. Once those are filled out, I will present those in the coming days leading up to the start of this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, so be on the lookout for those.
In the meantime, thank you for following along all season long, and I'll be back next season with more postgame recaps covering what will hopefully be a much better Sharks team.
Sources: NHL App, Multiple sources via Twitter
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