Even with home-ice advantage, the Kraken struggled in a two-part test against a solid playoff contender.
The Kraken trailed throughout on Monday night at Climate Pledge Arena, falling 5-2 to the Dallas Stars. The Central Division leaders took four points from back-to-back games in Seattle while the hosts managed one, from Saturday’s overtime loss.
The Kraken penalty kill, which had been on a hot streak of late, melted down to the tune of three goals against. It went 1-for-4. Seattle’s power play was scoreless on two attempts.
“Obviously they did their homework, but we’ve got to be better than that,” center and penalty killer Alex Wennberg said.
“I think we had good minutes, but the special teams were the (difference) today.”
A truly dysfunctional goal put the Stars up 1-0. The Kraken tried to dump the puck into the Stars’ zone but sent it off Jaden Schwartz’ backside as he went off for a line change. Dallas’ Evgenii Dadonov wiped out on the center ice logo keeping it headed in the correct direction.
The Stars’ Wyatt Johnston sent a shot off Adam Larsson’s ankle that rocketed into the corner, chased after it and put another shot off Larsson’s foot. That one bounced to the goal mouth and off Dadonov and maybe Kraken defender Will Borgen, then in.
“We seemed to be one second late. That pretty much cost us the game,” Larsson said.
Jamie Benn made it 2-0 on the first of three Dallas power-play goals before Yanni Gourde got the Kraken (37-23-7, third Pacific Division) on the board. Gourde took the puck over the blue line and chipped it to Jesper Froden, who set up Vince Dunn for a one-timer. Gourde sent the rebound off defender Joe Pavelski and in.
Pavelski, in turn, scored on the power play to make it 3-1 three minutes into the second period. Dunn put another long shot on net and struck teammate Eeli Tolvanen in front for the waiver pickup’s 14th of the season, 12 of which have come with Seattle. He has 22 points in 33 games since entering the Kraken lineup Jan. 1.
Fourteen seconds later, the noise was sucked back out of the building as Dallas went straight to the other end and scored. Johnston froze Martin Jones (27 saves) and went around him, dragging Daniel Sprong the whole way.
“You’re drawn to the play inside of our line, but ultimately, there’s a couple things that happened before that in the neutral zone where we have two guys on the wrong side of that play,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “It ends up breaking down to a puck battle, a race, that they get to the net on us.”
Jason Robertson scored the ninth-ranked Dallas power play’s third goal of the night early in the third period, and the Kraken didn’t offer much more resistance after that.
“As soon as we gave up a PK goal, momentum went their way,” Hakstol said.
“We had a couple good shifts on there. Guys were pushing. The mentality on the bench was good. (But) we couldn’t push any momentum.”
The Kraken play five of their next six on the road, returning home after Thursday’s quick stop in San Jose to play the Edmonton Oilers, who are hot on their heels in the Pacific Division. Then they’ll play the Stars for the third and final time in Dallas, kicking off a four-game road trip.