Kraken Catch Stars, Fall in OT

When Eeli Tolvanen took a successful swing at the puck in a shoulder-to-shoulder mad scramble at the Dallas crease to tie up Monday’s reprise of last spring’s second-round playoff series, he and teammates celebrated the goal.

Then before the next puck drop to play out the remaining 22 seconds of regulation, the NHL’s situation room in Toronto went into overtime themselves to determine if the Tolvanen heart stopper was going to be reversed. Tolvanen looked a bit anxious on the bench awaiting word, Vince Dunn leaned on the boards to look at an iPad video replay to make sure he remained in the zone when keeping the puck in a flow that led to another pivotal quick-release shot from Oliver Bjorkstrand with an extra SEA attacker on the ice and the Kraken goal empty.

It turned out the goal was judged good and Seattle ultimately earned the one standings point when Dallas scored in overtime after Matty Beniers first hit a post that would have made for a magical night, situation room and all.

Overcoming First-Period Stumbles

The Kraken fell behind 2-0 by first intermission in Dallas Monday night, but the shots on goal (13 each), high-danger scoring chances (five for the home squad, four for the visitors) and offensive pace for both teams were almost dead even.

Seattle was undaunted by the tilted scoreboard and proved it in the first minute of the middle period when Matty Beniers took the puck hard into the Dallas zone (after Joey Daccord made a big save just seconds into the frame). Beniers scored later in the frame to make it 3-2 and set up what was both a thrilling and caught-in-the-throat tying goal by Eeli Tolvanen with just 22 seconds left in the third period.

Beniers clanged a goal post in overtime – he was on his game Monday and then some – but Dallas rang up the game-winner late in overtime on a back-door goal by Dallas defenseman Thomas Harley.

The Kraken got one standings point and now head to LA for a rematch of Saturday’s overtime loss. Seattle now has played the most overtimes, a dozen, in the NHL this season. Monday’s decision broke Seattle’s OT tie with Toronto.

Tatar Scores First One in Kraken Blue

Newcomer and veteran forward Tomas Tatar joined his reigning-rookie-of-the-year linemate on the approach to the Dallas net. Beniers shot, DAL goalie Scott Wedgewood made the initial save, then Tatar showed one of the many reasons he’s already displayed in two games why GM Ron Francis traded for Tatar last Friday.

Kraken play-by-play man John Forslund didn’t have to wait long to unveil his signature goal call deploying Tatar’s nickname at other NHL stops that include Detroit, Vegas, Montreal, and Colorado. “It’s Tuna Time,” exhorted Forslund as Matty Beniers was all smiles for his new linemate. When Beniers scored later in the second period to tighten the game to 3-2, Tatar was the one smiling ear-to-ear with Beniers success.

Beniers’ opportunity, prompted by Tatar’s detailed play to get the puck out of the Seattle end, marked the franchise center’s first goal in 10 games. Linemate Jordan Eberle, back from missing Saturday’s shootout loss with a lower-body injury, flashed another pretty pass for the primary assist to remind fans of the alternate captain Eberle’s sometimes under-the-radar playmaking skills.

Post-game, Tatar was praising Beniers’ speed and hockey IQ. Dave Hakstol talked about “instant chemistry” among the newest Kraken player and Beniers, quickly adding the chemistry includes Eberle too. Should be to see how the line proceeds this week in southern California.

Injury Update Not a Happy One

While the aforementioned Eberle was back in the lineup to pair up with Tatar on the wings with Beniers in between, both fourth-line center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Kraken leading goal scorer Jared McCann were ruled out for the remainder of the game due to lower-body issues. There was no further word Monday night, check back on the Kraken app, website, and social media channels for any evaluations and developments.

Falling Behind Early

A couple of defensive lapses in the first 20 minutes – Will Borgen will be the first to raise his hand in finding fault – gave an elite group of forwards opportunities they didn’t squander.

“We fed them four or five real good outnumbered opportunities in the first period,” said Dave Hakstol. “That’s not the way you want to start in this building against this team for sure. We had a couple of guys tonight who didn’t start on time. It leads to some of those plays. That’d be the negative side. The positive side would be digging out of a hole and battling with a short bench and finding a way to get back.”[

Matt Duchene scored the first goal, his ninth of the season, as the last to touch the puck on a tic-tac-toe type play in which linemates Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment earned assists just over a minute into this first game of a three-contest road trip before the holiday break. Moments earlier, the Kraken were pressuring in the Dallas zone, and in the next 14 seconds, the Stars were converting an odd-man 2-on-1 rush on Jamie Oleksiak after his partner Borgen pinched with a forward covering for Borgen’s joining the play.

Mid-period, Dallas doubled their lead when Borgen collided with Roope Hintz, stumbling in the wrong direction and out of the play. The loose puck went to 39-year-old Joe Pavelski, who moved the puck quickly to 24-year-old linemate Jason Robertson for the score.

When Duchene added his second goal of the night to put the hosts up 3-2 in the second period, both Duchene and Robertson joined Hintz and Pavelski as Stars with double-digit goals already this season. Duchene’s goal was the finishing touch on an impressive 59 seconds of controlling the puck on a delayed penalty call and the Stars net empty for an extra attacker.