“We were ready”: Kraken rebound and defeat the Stars to force a seventh game
The Seattle Kraken needed a response to keep their season going, and they got it in Game 6 of this Western Conference quarterfinal on Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena, defeating the Dallas Stars 6-3 to even the series.
The Stars pulled top goaltender Jake Oettinger, which led to the Kraken scoring six goals, and forcing a decisive Game 7, which will take place on Monday at the American Airlines Centre in Dallas.
The Stars would reach the Western Conference final for the second time in four seasons with a victory in Game 7. If the Kraken won Game 7, it would be the first time in team history that the second-year franchise had made it to the conference finals.
“Tonight, we were prepared. Eeli Tolvanen, a Kraken winger who finished with a goal and three points, stated, “I feel like they were the ready team at the start of the last couple games. “I believe that today’s key was that. All four lines were present and prepared to play.
The Kraken struggled to regain composure throughout their defeats in Games 4 and 5. The Kraken struggled in five-on-five play, failing to even reach their offensive averages in terms of shots per 60, scoring chances per 60, and high-danger scoring chances per 60.
On Saturday, that wasn’t a problem. The Kraken staked itself to what at one time was a three-goal advantage by maintaining that control. With a shot-share percentage of 63.3% and at least a 10-shot advantage in the closing minutes of the first quarter, they clung onto the ball with a grudge.
With 11:01 remaining, Yanni Gourde gave the Kraken a 1-0 lead after receiving a drop feed from Tolvanen and skating in for a clear shot. Oettinger first denied Gourde’s attempt, but Gourde later scored after grabbing the rebound.
Only for Mason Marchment’s goal to tie the game for the Stars 31 seconds later.
A case might be made that the power-play goal that gave the Kraken the opportunity to regain the lead was just as stark a contrast as Marchment’s score that tied the game.
The Kraken finished the regular season in 19th place with a 19.8% success percentage because it was difficult to take advantage of the additional skater advantage. With the Kraken converting 14.7% of their opportunities, which ranks 14th out of 16 teams, the postseason hasn’t seen much of a deviation. Additionally, it has the lowest conversion rate among playoff-eligible clubs.
They demonstrated the kind of seamless mobility against the Stars that they occasionally lacked in both the regular season and the playoffs. With fewer than four minutes left, they made the kind of connection that allowed Jordan Eberle to get the puck at the front of the net and raise his shot over a diving Oettinger for a 2-1 lead.
Eberle, who finished with two goals and three points, said, “I thought we played aggressively and also smartly. We made an effort to reduce their chances while remaining vigilant. No harm could come to us. Backs against the wall, of course, so we’ll make the same effort in Game 7 and we know they’ll give it their all. All you can hope for is that.
In the second period, Tolvanen’s goal made it 3-1. The Kraken then signed rookie Tye Kartye as an undrafted free agent, and Kartye’s goal made it 4-1, forcing Stars coach Pete DeBoer to bench Oettinger.
“We didn’t give him any help, and this is a grind,” DeBoer added. “At that point, we’re looking for a spark for the team. Looking ahead, we’re making sure Jake has energy. The fresher goalie for Game 7, all those things come into play.”
Oettinger had to leave the game early for the second time in this series because to the Kraken. The first time was in Game 3, where he lost 7-2 after surrendering five goals in 40 minutes and finishing with a.706 save percentage.
On Saturday, Oettinger only played for less than 25 minutes before DeBoer decided to finish the game with backup Scott Wedgewood. Oettinger’s final save % of.778 was still better than his performance in Game 3, although the game’s goals against average was 9.84.
When asked what changed in front of Oettinger on Saturday, Seattle coach Dave Hakstol responded, “Getting back to the pace we knew we needed to play with.” “Improving traffic. locate a rebound. That’s a wise move on our part.
In 5-on-5 action, the Stars gave up 12 high-danger chances—the same number they gave up in Thursday’s triumph in Game 5. The four goals Oettinger conceded came from an average distance of little over 15 feet, with Kartye’s wrist shot from 31 feet being the farthest, according to IcyData.
Tolvanen explained, “It was just the mindset to get [into the Stars defence], and we lacked a little of that earlier. It was wonderful to discover that we could turn things on and off.
Dallas’ objectives would be met. After Seattle’s Matty Beniers restored the three-goal advantage with a goal in the second period, Joe Pavelski scored, and Joel Kiviranta of the Stars kept the game within two goals.
Although Kiviranta scored later in the third period with more than 10 minutes remaining to give the Kraken a 5-3 lead, Pavelski scored on the power play to cut the margin in half.
However, despite the Stars scoring three goals, the Kraken managed to stop them from having the kinds of three and four goal periods that have become a staple of this series.
This additional information may have been overlooked in the Kraken’s triumph.
The Stars’ Roope Hintz, who had four shots on goal despite having zero points after entering Friday tied for the league lead in playoff points, was held without a point. Hintz, Pavelski, and 100-point scorer Jason Robertson make up the top line for the Stars. With Robertson providing the assist on Pavelski’s power play goal, the three finished with zero points in 5-on-5 action.
“It was just getting back to who we are,” Hakstol remarked. If you’re a little off, playing against those men is difficult. They undoubtedly had a significant influence throughout the entire series, but in the most recent games, they have improved, and we haven’t been able to keep up. Without a doubt, they looked good tonight. You’ll recognise those men when you look back through the possibilities. A committee had to be formed by us, and one was. Everyone contributed, and when we can maintain that kind of rhythm, it allows us to play with good intensity and pace, which makes us challenging to play against.
