Final Buzzer: Point Taken

Saturday's outcome is not what any coach or player in the Kraken locker room wanted, but let's agree the a standings point snatched with two Seattle third-period goals will make this overtime loss hurt a bit less. And maybe fortify the Kraken's efforts Monday night here at Climate Pledge Arena when the two squads meet for a rematch.
"There's a team [Dallas] that's hot, right?" said Ryan Donato, a hero himself Saturday in his first appearance since March 5th in the Colorado overtime road win. "They do a lot of good things, but I think we did too. I think we can hang with those guys and obviously, it's not the way we want it to end. We had a chance and didn't close it out. But looking forward to the next game for sure."
Donato tied the game with just under 10 minutes remaining, staying upright and net-front, finding a way to get his stick on the puck during a scramble alongside linemate Daniel Sprong, who earned his fifth assist to go along with a goal in his last five games he has dressed. Donato has a habit of scoring when he is re-inserted into the lineup.

That's what we expect out of somebody coming back in the lineup," said Hakstol about the luxury of having 13 competent forwards for 12 spots. "You're coming back in for a reason. [Donato] comes in to provide good solid play and in that case, he's good in that area. We've seen Donnie in that area before. He's very competitive down there."

Overtime Streaks Ends at Six Straight

The Kraken had possession for most of the ensuing overtime period but couldn't get the puck across the goal line. Instead, Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen one-timed a shot past Philipp Grubauer for the visitors' win.
"They made a play to win it," said Hakstol. "We had a couple of looks, we didn't get inside on [Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger]. We had a couple opportunities where we had some tired legs on the ice on their side. We had the one look from outside from Ebs [Eberle]. Maybe he could have taken it inside a little harder but he had a look from the outside. He's pretty confident from that area. Then they made the play."
There was some further consolation beyond earning a standings point. While division leader Vegas won against Carolina, Los Angeles lost in a shootout to Nashville and Edmonton dropped a road game in Toronto.

Making the Point

Just when Kraken fans might have been wondering if Dallas was about to clamp down on a 2-1 lead for the visitors' victory, Ryan Donato, back in the lineup, whacked in a tying goal at net-front halfway through the final period. Bedlam and renewed hope spilled from all reaches of Climate Pledge Arena.
Then a power play goal from Seattle forward Oliver Bjorkstrand put the Kraken ahead 3-2. But the lead lasted only two minutes and twenty-five seconds until 38-year-old Joe Pavelski tied this thriller with 70 seconds remaining. Both teams held on from there to each earn an all-important standings point.

Keeping in Close

For half the third period, Dallas put on a clinic on how to hold onto a one-goal lead, showing why the Stars are bound for the Western Conference playoffs and contending for the top seed in head coach Peter DeBoer's first season with the club. The Stars routinely set up in the Kraken zone, not necessarily playing keep-away but certainly making sure Seattle didn't get any odd-man rushes. Stars players, even top scorers like Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz were hustling back to man the defensive zone.
If it looks like Dallas had done this before, it's because the Stars have lived on the edge in lots of third periods this season. They have 13 overtime/shootout losses this season, which is not something to brag on, but it is 13 points they notched by keeping a game tied and/or scoring themselves to push a game to overtime.

Dallas Starts It, Eberle Answers

After a tight first period with both goalies turning away double-digit shots on goal, Dallas opened the scoring when Philipp Grubauer made a first save on a shot from Stars defenseman Esa Lindell, but the puck rebounded right to the stick of Jason Robertson. The Star's leading scorer quickly moved the puck to linemate Roope Hintz, who shot past a diving Grubauer for his seventh goal in the last six Dallas games. Grubauer got a piece of the puck, but not enough.
Just under three minutes later, the Kraken were set up in the Dallas zone for one of the first extended possessions of the night. In particular, there were Seattle bodies in front of 24-year-old Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger. Jared McCann started the play to Oettinger's left, sending the puck cross-ice and back to Vince Dunn at the left point. Dunn fired on net and both Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle showed some baseball skills by batting and redirecting the puck in mid-air to beat the formidable Oettinger. Eberle was the last to touch the puck, giving him his 15th goal of the season. Dunn earned his 40th assist, making it points in nine straight games.

Donato Pays Dividends

Ryan Donato, who scored the dramatic game-tying goal, was in the lineup Saturday, playing center on the fourth line between Daniel Sprong on the right and Brandon Tanev on the left side. Donato fired an early shot on goal and Sprong nearly scored with a spin-o-rama move on Stars goalie Jake Oettinger.
The odd man out in this first of back-to-back home games with Dallas was Morgan Geekie. The coaching staff is clearly liking what they are seeing in recent American Hockey League call-up Jesper Froden's play on the Yanni Gourde line with waiver claim Eeli Tolvanen now a fixture on the other wing.
That line has been getting praised the most by Dave Hakstol in press scrums in recent weeks. It's a testament to Gourde's consistent high-energy, elite two-way play no matter who's on the wings. But it's also a product of Ron Francis and the hockey operations group to "steal" a player like Tolvanen ("I was surprised we got him," said leading goal scorer Jared McCann this week) and stock the AHL roster with solid pros like Froden and John Hayden before him.