The Sharks stole one. They lost the expected-goals battle 2.19–4.62 and won anyway.
The Sharks won 6-1, but Seattle owned the game that mattered most: they controlled 68% of expected goals and dominated shot quality. Y. Askarov made it irrelevant.
The Kraken generated 4.62 expected goals against Sharks 2.19, built on 57% of shot attempts and 12 high-danger chances to San Jose's 2. Seattle crashed relentlessly, combining higher-quality looks (0.066 xG per shot vs. 0.049) with 9 rebound opportunities — all for naught. This should have been a Kraken victory.
Instead, Y. Askarov stopped 3.62 goals above expectation. He made 29 saves on 30 shots with a 0.967 save percentage, surrendering only his expected output on high-danger chances: 92% on 12 HD shots. San Jose's goaltending wall held Seattle at arm's length.
The Kraken's collapse at the other end sealed the heist. J. Daccord gave up 3.09 goals above expected on just 20 shots (0.750 SV%), while M. Murray saw three shots and stopped two. Seattle's expected goals advantage meant nothing when they needed it most.
San Jose escaped with a smash-and-grab thanks to ruthless transition play: 4 goals from 21 rush chances, converting positional disadvantage into victory. Tyler Toffoli's wrist shot from the high slot at 3:54 of the third period exemplified their efficiency.
M. Celebrini (1G, 2A) led the assault; J. Klingberg (1G, 1A) and W. Smith (1G, 1A) added finishing touches.
