Seattle’s first-ever round 2:
Last night was the beginning of yet another exciting historical franchise milestone for the Kraken as they played their first-ever round 2 game against the Dallas Stars. Like the first series, this one will be a very tough fight for each team.
Kraken lead…but not for long:
While the Stars got the first goal of the game, they weren’t capable of holding a solid lead at all in the first or second periods. Joe Pavelski was the only player for Dallas to score during last night’s game, as he miraculously scored all four of their goals. The first one he knocked in the net was helped by Mason Marchment and Max Domi. About 10 minutes later, the Kraken’s offensive energy finally kicked in as Jaden Schwartz tied up the score with assists from Morgan Geekie and Jordan Eberle. Stars’ super-scorer Pavelski didn’t like the looks of the tied score, so he changed it not too long after. This time, he was assisted by Thomas Harley and Miro Heiskenan. Despite Pavelski leading his offense in a phenomenal fashion, the Kraken took over his success with three more consecutive goals. The second Seattle goal was scored by Justin Schultz and was assisted by Ryan Donato. The next lamp-lighting occurred thanks to Oliver Bjorkstrand and help from Jaime Oleksiak and Will Borgen. Their final regulation goal was scored by Jordan Eberle, assisted by aggressive defender Vince Dunn and rookie superstar Matty Beniers. The first period ended with a fantastic 4-2 lead from the Seattle Kraken. They bested the Stars in shots by only one. The second period remained empty in terms of goals, but the Kraken also out-shot Dallas 14-9.
Stars catch up:
The Stars scored twice in the third period, of course, by Pavelski again. The third was scored with the help of Jaime Benn and Domi. The final goal of the game was assisted by Jani Hakanpää and Domi again. The third period was the only one in which the Stars out-shot the Kraken, which they did 11-8. While lots of Dallas fans got their hopes high, they would soon be disappointed.
Kraken unleashed:
The game went to overtime and lasted approximately 12 minutes until the Kraken was fully unleashed. Yanni Gourde scored the game-winning goal without the need of assistance. He was not on a breakaway when he scored, as that is the “typical” unassisted goal. Rather, he and his team were in the offensive zone, where they had been hot all night, and he fought for control of the puck with a Stars player when he finally got enough room to whip up a good ol’ Gourde goal-scoring recipe and shoot the puck straight into the back of the net.
DO NOT SLEEP ON SEATTLE!
The game rested in favor of Seattle 5-4 as well as shots in which they finished at 44-35. The Stars won the majority of the faceoffs, but not by much, as they only had won 58% of them. The Kraken have played incredibly well during this year’s playoffs despite all odds that were against them. I personally think that if they work on their defense some and even a little bit on their offense, then they will be at their very best.
Three stars of the game:
- Joe Pavelski (scored all four of Dallas’ goals)
- Yanni Gourde (game-winning goal)
- Max Domi (three assists)
The Kraken will face the Stars next on Friday at 6:30 PT
…and then on Sunday at 6:30 PT
For more Kraken news and updates, follow me on Twitter @gabriellediane0
