3 Keys: Kraken at Stars, Game 7 of Western Conference 2nd Round

Seattle must play fast, Oettinger needs to bounce back for Dallas

By Nicholas J. Cotsonika

@cotsonika NHL.com Columnist

May 15, 2023

(WC1) Kraken at (C2) Stars

Western Conference Second Round, Game 7

Best-of-7 series tied 3-3

8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS

DALLAS -- The Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken will play Game 7 of the Western Conference Second Round at American Airlines Center on Monday, the winner facing the Vegas Golden Knights in the conference final.

Dallas is trying to make the third round for the second time in four seasons.

"I think every guy that plays hockey thinks of these types of games as kids growing up," Stars forward Max Domi said. "These are the stages you work to play on, and we're here. This is why we play, and it'll be a lot of fun tonight."

Seattle, which joined the NHL as an expansion team last season, is trying to become the second team since 1974-75 to reach a conference final within its first two seasons. Vegas made it in its inaugural season of 2017-18.

"It's huge," Kraken forward Yanni Gourde said. "It would be great for this group. But we can't focus too far, look too far ahead. Just focus on the first shift, first period. Focus on your nap, and then go from there."

The team that scores first in Game 7 is 146-47 (.756) in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including 3-0 this season.

Here are 3 keys for Game 7:

1. Jake Oettinger

Stars goalie Jake Oettinger was pulled from Game 6 after allowing four goals on 18 shots.

But he was pulled from Game 3 after allowing five goals on 17 shots, and he responded by allowing five goals on 50 shots over the next two games. He's 4-0 with a 2.51 goals-against average and .906 save percentage after a loss in the playoffs this season.

"That's an elite mindset where, 'You know what? I'm not going to let last game bleed into the next game. I'm going to make sure I'm part of the solution, not part of the problem,'" Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. "And he's been as good as I've had in those situations."

Oettinger made 64 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames in Game 7 of the first round last season, the second-highest Game 7 total in NHL history. Kelly Hrudey made 73 for the New York Islanders in a 3-2 four-OT win against the Washington Capitals in the 1987 Patrick Division Semifinals.

2. Playing fast

The key is simple for Seattle.

"I think the biggest thing is playing fast, not letting them have enough time to make plays and do the things that they're best at," Kraken forward Matty Beniers said. "And to do that, we just need to play fast, get on pucks fast, get our forecheck going, hit them."

Gourde said much the same thing, but he added this: "Don't try too much too early. I think plays are going to come. Don't force things. Grind them down, and eventually look for your plays."

3. The hero

You never know will be the hero in Game 7.

Jordan Eberle leads the Kraken with six goals. Jaden Schwartz is next with five. But it was Oliver Bjorkstrand who scored twice in their 2-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of the first round. They've had 18 goal-scorers in the playoffs.

"Who else is it going to be?" Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. "We're going to have to have everybody going. We're going to have to do it by committee again tonight, and hopefully at the end of the night there's one or two individuals that stand out in a positive result."

Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski each has eight goals for the Stars. But when Dallas defeated Colorado 5-4 in Game 7 of the second round in 2020, Joel Kiviranta became the second player in NHL history to cap a Game 7 hat trick in OT. Esa Tikkanen did it for Edmonton in a 5-4 win against Calgary in the 1991 Smythe Division Semifinals.

"It's like a normal game," Kiviranta said. "We need to prepare ourselves and play our best game."

Kraken projected lineup

Tye Kartye -- Matty Beniers -- Jordan Eberle

Jaden Schwartz -- Alex Wennberg -- Morgan Geekie

Eeli Tolvanen -- Yanni Gourde -- Oliver Bjorkstrand

Brandon Tanev -- Ryan Donato -- Jared McCann

Vince Dunn -- Adam Larsson

Jamie Oleksiak -- Will Borgen

Carson Soucy -- Justin Schultz

Philipp Grubauer

Martin Jones

Scratched: Cale Fleury, Jaycob Megna, Jesper Froden, Chris Driedger