What Else Is New: No Kraken "O" In Big "D" As Stars Defeat Seattle 3-1

Add one more complaint to the problems faced by the Seattle Kraken this season: the periods are too long.

The newly-crowned Central Division champion Dallas Stars scored in the final two seconds of the 1st period and the last 37 ticks of the 2nd period. The rest was garbage time, as Dallas coasted to a 3-1 victory Saturday at American Airlines Center.

Highlights for the Kraken included goalie Philipp Grubauer stopping Sam Steel's 2nd period penalty shot.

Also, Tomas Tatar and Kailer Yamamoto, reinserted into the Seattle lineup, combined for the lone Kraken tally.

Seattle has three games remaining, starting in St. Louis Sunday. Note the starting time of 10 am Pacific, and that the game will be televised by TNT.

1st Period

Praiseworthy: The ABC-TV telecast (produced by ESPN) includes two women: analyst A.J. Mleczko, a gold medalist with the U.S. Olympic Team, and rinkside reporter Blake Bolden, an L.A. Kings scout and the first Black woman to play professional hockey.

Cringeworthy: ABC didn't join the Kraken-Stars game until eight minutes had been played, while the network showed overtime and a shootout between the Rangers & Islanders. The start in Dallas was shuttled to the dollar store of cable TV sports, ESPNews.

As for the game itself, it won't include three Kraken rookies who injected life into the Seattle lineup.

Forwards Tomas Tatar and Kailer Yamamoto return to the Kraken lineup.

3:31 into the game - y'know, the part you probably didn't see - Brandon Tanev's older brother Chris fired a wrist shot saved by Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer. So? Dallas wouldn't have another SOG for 14 minutes, until Grubauer robbed Joe Pavelski on the doorstep at 17:26.

The period lasts two seconds too long for Seattle. A harmless-looking shot from the blueline is deflected by Craig Smith past Grubauer for a 1-0 Dallas lead at 19:58.

Shots in the first favored Seattle 8-4.

2nd Period

According to NHL.com, this happened in the 1st period.

Seattle comes close on their second power play. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger makes a pad save on Ryker Evans' long wrister, and Jaden Schwartz standing in front is knocked down before he can sweep the rebound home.

Seven minutes in, Grubauer saves Mason Marchment's tip try. It's the Stars first shot of the 2nd period, fifth of the game. Soon after, Dallas' Jamie Benn has open ice skating down right wing, but Grubauer rejects his snipe.

More Dallas pressure: Kraken defensman Will Borgen gloves the puck off the goal line. Partner Jamie Oleksiak attempts to fall on the hand grenade. It somehow squirts free from underneath his chest. Grubauer goes to grab the puck, instead knocking it into the net with his blocker.

• Fortunate: the whistle blew before the puck crossed the goal line.

• Unfortunate: Dallas is awarded a penalty shot for Oleksiak covering the puck in the crease.

• Fortunate: Grubauer closes the 5-hole to deny Sam Steel's penalty-shot wrister.

Two more marvelous Grubauer saves. He stays with a wicked Miro Heiskanen deflection. By keeping good position, he's also able to reject Heiskanen's rebound whack.

Seattle's Ryker Evans and Brandon Tanev take minors 22 seconds apart, setting up a lengthy Dallas 5-on-3. Jason Robertson takes advantage, snapping a shot past Grubauer for his 29th at 19:24.

Dallas, which had all 18 of its shots in the last 13 minutes of the period (!), leads in SOG through 40 minutes, 22-16. The home team also has both goals.

3rd Period

The Kraken haven't scored against the Stars in their last five full periods, plus an overtime in their first meeting Dec. 18. In that game, Eeli Tolvanen scored to tie the game 3-3 in the final 22 seconds, before Thomas Hartley won it for Dallas in OT.

The Stars shut out the Kraken 3-0 at Climate Pledge Arena on March 30, so Dallas today is aiming for a three game season series sweep.

Back-to-back giveaways by Tolvanen and Tanev set up a Robertson scoring chance. Sloppy play; caused by a superior opponent, or lack of concentration or motivation? No matter why, not a good look.

After a pretty Andre Burakovsky end-to-end rush, Jordan Eberle rings a knuckling shot off the crossbar. Oliver Bjorkstrand with an even fancier 360 move, then he bangs a shot off the crossbar, too.

The 17th ranked Kraken power play fails on its third opportunity against Dallas' #8 PK. Seattle has three total shots on its three PPs.

Any remaining doubt about the outcome of this game is removed at 12:23. Heiskanen circles the Seattle net with his own blocked shot. When he skates out the other side, Grubauer gets a piece of his shot, but not enough to prevent a 3-0 Dallas lead.

If you think Joey Daccord is the only goalie who occasionally gets risky with the puck, he has company in Oettinger. When freezing the biscuit would be the wise course, Oettinger instead funnels to the corner. Tatar steals, feeding a breaking Yamamoto who ends the shutout at 14:11.

The story today is rinse-and-repeat. Good enough defense, not nearly enough offense.