Kraken 3, Stars 2
Climate pledge arena was packed with a festive holiday-eve crowd. The home team Kraken piled up scoring chances early against the Dallas Stars, bringing the throng out of its seats often.
But Seattle could never quite get any momentum going.
The Stars make it tough to maneuver in all three zones, plus they briefly took the crowd out of the match with the first goal of the night at 5:52 of the 1st period with a Roope Hintz tip-in, the Finn’s seventh goal of the season.
By the way, as Stars GM Jim Nill points out in our annual visit (see video at bottom), you’ll definitely be thinking about his hockey club when you’re watching Team Finland during the Winter Olympics in February. The impact of his Finns are reminiscent of the Swedish contingent that made up a part of the championship Red Wings teams he helped build in the early 2000’s.
Another buzz kill in the first two periods of Wednesday night’s game was the Seattle power play. It was pathetic, which included an early four-minute effort, or lack thereof, after Alex Petrovic went off for a high sticking double minor at the game’s :49-second mark.
At even strength the teams played relatively even. Shots-on-goal were utterly equal after 40 minutes. Each club had ten in the first period and nine in the second.
Kraken D-man Brandon Montour had tied the game midway through the first period when he banked a shot from a very tough angle off the back of Stars goalie Casey DeSmith and into the net. Esa Lindell, another Dallas Finn, untied it when he hammered home a rebound at 6:13 of the second period. Kraken goalie Joey Daccord was inundated with traffic.
The third period started with an eruption and the Kraken were right back in it. Seattle blueliner Vince Dunn, appearing fed up with the situation in general, went end-to-end, speeding up the ice into the Dallas zone and wristing a puck past DeSmith from the left wing circle. It’s probably one the goalie should have caught, but nevertheless, we had a brand new hockey game.
Moments later, Seattle earned its fourth power play of the game. Moments later, they did nothing with it, and the Stars seemed to get a bit of momentum off another successful penalty kill.
It took awhile, but the decisive moment of the third period came down to a cliché.
“Send the puck to the net and good things happen.”
That’s what Vladislav Kolyachonok did when he flung a wrist shot from the left point through a partial screen and off the post and in behind Daccord at 14:16.
Seattle earned another power play late and failed to click. A head scratcher came with two minutes on the game clock and thirty seconds remaining on the PP. Seattle had possession, but didn’t pull Daccord for another attacker, as he stood with his arm in the air signalling the bench.
Back at even strength, with 1:22 remaining, they pulled the goalie and added that extra man with an offensive zone face-off opportunity. They lost the draw and eventually the game 3-2.
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken’s Lambert Defiant; Has A Positive Homecoming
Earlier Canucks:
— Canucks Open To Trading Veteran Players
Earlier Kraken:
— Expect Kraken’s Jared McCann To Return Tonight
Earlier Canucks:
— Canucks Open To Trading Veteran Players