The Kraken scored a goal with 22-seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game, only to lose in overtime to the Dallas Stars 4-3. It’s Seattle’s league leading ninth loss of the season post-regulation.
Seattle gave the Stars fits at times, much like they did during the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring when they fell one goal short of the Western Conference Final, losing Game-7 to Dallas, 2-1.
Monday night brought their first visit to American Airlines Arena since.
Potentially worse than the loss: Both Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Jared McCann left the game during and after the 2nd period and didn’t return.
1st Period
The best chance for the Kraken came midway through the period when Eeli Tolvanen ripped a shot off the chin of Dallas goalie Scott Wedgewood. Blood appeared, but the 31-year-old veteran stayed in the game.
Wedgewood appeared in just his tenth game of the season following the week-to-week, lower body prognosis for Stars number-one netminder Nate Oettinger. Wedgewood turned aside all 13 shots he faced in the period.
Joey Daccord faced the same number, but gave up two goals off mistakes made by a teammate. Matt Duchene was the first to capitalize at the 1:15 mark after a bad pinch in the O-zone by Kraken D-man Will Borgen. The Seattle blueliner was trapped up ice as Duchene and Tyler Seguin broke in and converted a 2-on-1.
Nine minutes after Duchene notched his ninth goal of the season, Jason Robertson scored his tenth. This time it was Borgen stumbling at center ice, allowing for another Dallas odd-man rush.
2-0 Dallas.
2nd Period
The Kraken jumped on the board just 32-seconds into the period when Tomas Tatar, the latest addition to the club, cashed in on a rebound of a two-on-one shot by Matty Beniers. The 33-year-old Slovakian had his first goal as a Kraken in just his second game with Seattle.
Dallas stole the momentum back less than six minutes later. That’s when Duchene scored his second goal of the game on a snap shot from the right wing circle into a gaping net. Sustained pressure from the Stars during a delayed-penalty, six-on-five situation led to a tired bunch of Kraken, allowing for a cross-ice pass and an easy finish.
Seattle kept plugging. Beniers picked up his 5th goal of the season at 13:48 when his winger Jordan Eberle stole a puck from Stars D-man Jani Hakanpää and found Beniers streaking to the slot. He fired a shot high stick side.
A Kraken power play followed but they failed to click while attempting to find the equalizer. After the man advantage was over, Brandon Tanev was robbed twice by Wedgewood.
3-2 Dallas.
3rd Period.
A carry-over Dallas power play started the period for almost a full two minutes. Seattle killed it off.
Moments later, Tatar took a holding penalty. Seattle killed if off again.
The Kraken would get the next power play and fail to click. At even strength, Seattle was the better club.
If only they could keep things five-on-five. Midway through the period, yet another call. This time Yanni Gourde for hooking at 9:52. The penalty kill found success again.
At 12:24, Gourde went off for goaltender interference. Just how many times could they dodge this bullet?
Remarkably, Seattle killed off half of the infraction before Stars forward Joe Pavelski went off for a penalty of his own.
The Kraken failed to threaten on their abbreviated power play or later in the third until they pulled their goalie and set up the 6-on-5 attack.
That’s when Tolvanen ripped a shot in off the post with 22-seconds remaining. After a long NHL-initiated review, it was determined there was no goaltender interference despite a lot of traffic in on Wedgewood.
Tied 3-3.
Overtime
Each team had a shot-on-goal and the Stars scored on theirs. Thomas Harley tapped in a puck to give the home team the win after getting position in behind rookie Seattle D-man Ryker Evans.
Shots on goal ended in favor of the Kraken, 38-28. Power plays: Seattle 0-for-4, Dallas 0-for-4.
Kraken 3 Stars:
1) Matty Beniers – Goal and an assist, three shots on goal in almost 20-minutes of ice time.
2) Tomas Tatar – Goal and an assist for the veteran winger in his 2nd game with Seattle. Four shots on goal.
3) Joey Daccord – Didn’t have a chance on the four tallies against. Made 24 saves.
Earlier Monday:
— Rink Construction Begins For Kraken Winter Classic
