Final Buzzer: Driedger Dynamic

• Kraken leading goal scorer Jared McCann rings up his first shorthanded goal of the season and 25th overall to make it 1-0 early in this Kids' Night game. Happiest person in the building is Kole Lind, whistled for tripping two minutes into the game.
• Second period is scoreless but not without its thrills. Chris Driedger makes a pair of Grade-A saves on Dallas' leading goal scorer and then its overall points leader within seconds of each other. Kraken kill a second penalty, almost scoring again and notching five shots on goal in four minutes of penalty-kill through two periods.
• Driedger continues making key saves early third period before Ryan Donato converts on a stretch pass from Carson Soucy. Dallas tightens up the game with a John Klingberg far-range shot with 5:35 remaining. Driedger and Kraken hold on for thrilling win. Driedger finishes the night with 29 saves, including 14 Grade-A scoring chances. Yanni Gourde's late breakaway adds vital insurance goal and Karson Kuhlman's empty-netter makes it 4-1 final.

After a resounding road win last Monday in Los Angeles, Chris Driedger told the media "I felt like myself" making 36 saves against the Pacific Division rival Kings. Sunday, the Kraken goaltender was truly feeling it, again leading his team to another loud win over a playoff contender desperate for points.
But it was Seattle who played more desperate - the hockey term for relentless work in all three zones all game. Driedger led the way, making 29 saves and shutting down the Dallas juggernaut line of Joe Pavelski (25 goals on the season, four shots Sunday), 22-year-old sensation Jason Robertson (32 goals, three shots) and Roope Hintz (30 goals, two shots).
Driedger was especially on during the offensive push that was inevitable from a team like Dallas that gets offensive production from several lines and the defensive corps, too. Though defenseman John Klingberg halved the lead with five-plus minutes remaining in the final period, Driedger kept his cool and crease amid many net-front scrambles.
"When things get chaotic, I look to keep good depth and let things go on," Driedger said. "I just stay calm."
The line of teammates waiting to hug or tap their goalie on the helmet - or both, plus the Kole Lind habit of kissing the goalie mask after wins, hey, why not? - indicated how happy the squad is for the well-liked Driedger.
Kraken fans no doubt admire Driedger telling reporters earlier this week that he sought out a sports psychologist a few weeks back to help him work though a challenging season that included the injured reserve, COVID protocol and referring to himself as the backup goalie when asked how he stayed sharp with 18 days between starts in March.
"It was just to kind of go back to basics and talk about some strategies, about how I'm thinking," Driedger said about the sports psychologist sessions last weekend. "And I've been feeling pretty good. It's just some minor, minor tweaks. Just things like monitoring your stress levels and your breathing and stuff like that so I feel calm and I feel like myself."

Finding a Comfort Level

Driedger and a killer penalty-kill were major reasons for a 1-0 lead after 40 minutes. Repeating a mantra Dave Hakstol has been offering all season, alternate captain Yanni Gourde said the first two periods tested "our need to be comfortable with a one-goal lead" and not try to overstep to get that second goal.
"They made their push in the third [period] with a lot of scoring chances," Gourde said. "Driedger was phenomenal for us."

Donato Stretches the Lead

When Kraken defenseman Carson Soucy lofted a stretch pass from inside his team's blue line to forward Ryan Donato just outside the Dallas blue line five minutes into the third period, the race was on. Dallas defenseman Ryan Suter couldn't get to Donato, who broke fast and hard to the net, faking a shot 10 feet out, then deked Jake Oettinger to slip the puck past the Stars goalie for the coveted second goal.
Donato credited goalie coach Andrew Allen and assistant coach Paul McFarland for the advance scouting info that Oettinger tends to bite on the fake-shot move, noting "it was a great pass from 'Souce.'"

Gourde snagged his own breakaway goal late period to effectively "lock the game" (Driedger's words) and Karson Kuhlman scored his first goal for the Kraken into an empty net to finish the scoring and the night.
"We knew they played last night [Dallas won in San Jose] and we wanted to put some miles on them," Hakstol said. "They still had enough jump in the third period, but 'Driedgs' had key saves there."
On the first Kids' Night at the home of the Kraken, the youngsters weren't the only ones having fun. The capacity crowd at Climate Pledge Arena was Seattle-worthy loud and long on a first-period Dallas power plays - because Jared McCann scored a shorthanded goal to stake Seattle a one-goal lead.

Long on the Short-Hand

About 20 games ago, Kraken coaches Hakstol and Jay Leach decided the penalty-kill unit needed to be more aggressive creating scoring chances despite being a man short. Hakstol said there was hesitation to do so earlier in the season, citing his squad didn't quite have the right types of players to pull it off.
But mid-season, the coaches moved to be more aggressive and it has paid dividends. McCann scored the Kraken's eighth shorthanded goal of the season - and sixth in the last 19 games. McCann ripped his signature elite shot on an Alex Wennberg pass and Soucy play to get the puck out of the defensive zone.
Another helpful factor: Soucy, McCann (back in the D-zone) and Wennberg all worked together to get the puck up ice through the neutral zone with speed, taking advantage of Dallas making a line change. Only five NHL teams have more shorthanded goals this season (Toronto, 12; Florida and Vegas, 10; Los Angeles and Winnipeg, 9).