Final Buzzer: Comeback Not Enough

Going into Game 5, Dave Hakstol was clear to point out how narrow the margin for error is in a playoff game. "You don't have to be off by much…the difference between a win and a loss is a lot closer than you think," he said. And while the Kraken battled an even match against the Stars, it was early battles of inches that ultimately cost them on the scoreboard and gave Dallas a 3-2 series lead.

"We had a solid start overall to the hockey game (and) to the first period but we found ourselves in a two-nothing hole," Dave Hakstol said. "You look at this team and overall through the difference of the hockey game, pretty close, pretty tight hockey game."

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How it Started

The Kraken started Thursday's contest aggressively just as they wanted to. They controlled possession both in terms of number of shots and time in the offensive zone. But they weren't able to capitalize for the first goal and small plays led to two quick strike goals in 98 seconds.

Seattle had five shot attempts in the first four minutes of the game but a turnover in the neutral zone gave Dallas one of their rare early offensive opportunities and they didn't waste it. The Stars were moving the puck and Will Borgen smartly blocked a pass to the slot by Wyatt Johnston. Unfortunately, the puck directed below the goal line to where Jamie Benn was in position. The Stars captain used one of the most dangerous passes in the game from below the goal line to feed Johnston in the slot. Borgen's stick was millimeters from blocking the shot and he made a valiant effort to block the shot coming from behind him, but the rookie beat Grubauer glove side for the first goal of the game.

The Stars kept hold of that momentum scoring a response goal shortly thereafter. Hakstol wanted to see his forecheck assert itself more, but when they didn't recover a puck in the offensive zone, Dallas got off the rush behind the layers of Seattle's defense and were able to get a skater advantage. Thomas Harley used a cross-slot pass to Roope Hintz to challenge Grubauer's lateral movement, and Hintz was able to convert for the 2-0 lead.

"Our determination (in Game 6) will have to be really good offensively," Hakstol said. "You can assume that they'll have the same type of stiff defensive effort that they had tonight."

Outside Looking In

While the Kraken dominated the majority of the first period in terms of offensive quantity, they couldn't solve Jake Oettinger. But there was a reason. Even with Seattle outshooting Dallas 14-5 and being in their offensive zone for 9:43, they weren't able to get pucks to the most dangerous areas of the ice. Everything came from the outside of the zone with limited opportunity for second and third chances. That would improve in period two and provide results.

A Tale of Two Periods

Once again, a team that believed in itself when not many others did, found the confidence to push back.After the Stars built up a 2-0 lead in period one, they added a third goal early in the second when Joe Pavelski got his seventh of the postseason after gathering his own rebound. But the Kraken weren't willing to go quietly.

1:26 after the score became 3-0, Tye Kartye, who's been an important part of this post-season after taking Jared McCann's spot on the Matty Beniers line, entered the zone and dished the puck to Jordan Eberle. A master passer himself, Eberle employed that dangerous cross-slot pass to set up Adam Larsson for his second goal in as many games. Kudos to Kartye for finishing the middle lane drive to tie up Thomas Harley net front and give Larsson space.

Seattle was able to narrow the gap on the scoreboard even further when, with 12:30 to go in the middle frame, Yanni Gourde came into the offensive zone, and dropped the puck to Jared McCann above the right circle. In his second game back from injury, McCann found the back of the net with his elite shot (aided by a bounce off Joel Hanley who was tied up with Larsson).

With that goal, the Kraken became only the third team to have 18 unique goal scorers through 12 post-season games. The others were the Los Angeles Kings in 1989-90 and 1992-93.

The Hintz Keep Coming

Both teams played a conservative third period with just one shot on target a piece halfway through the final frame. Grubauer and Oettinger were coming up with key saves for their teams. But it was Dallas that would finally break through - even though it took a little bit to be confirmed. Hintz set up a possession for his team and the Stars started the cycle allowing Hintz to get net front where he received a centering pass from Pavelski, deked, and tucked the puck under the crossbar for the home team's fourth goal. Play continued at first, but 35 seconds later officials stopped play, took a look, and confirmed the score.

Radek Faksa added a late empty net goal to finalize the score at 5-2.

"I liked the way that we fought back," Jordan Eberle said. "For the most part we fought back but we have to find a way to limit mistakes. I mean, obviously, you give them odd-man rushes you give them looks like that. . .they're a good team, they have a lot of offensive players that are going to score. So we have to try and find a way to continue to play aggressive without giving them grade-A chances."

Now it's "do or die" in Game 6 as Eberle called it but the Kraken are optimistic about their chances.

"One thing with this team, we have never quit," Larsson said. "We probably never will."

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By The Numbers

Here's a look at our data-driven Instant Analysis from Sportlogiq (click Video: SEA@DAL, Gm5: Larsson puts Kraken on the board in 2nd for how to read this graphic):