GDT: Game 66: Dallas Stars(35-17-13) @ Seattle Kraken(37-22-6) - 7:00 p.m. PT / 10:00 p.m. ET

[brewski420]

Settled it down and set up a great play!!

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Wow. PP comes through right when I thought all was lost ...

 

[kihei]

Bjorkstrand scores. Hell, yes.

 

[Irie]

Ah shit, I’m dumb.

I have to admit, I was kinda excited for a second. I thought maybe they figured out a way to get Wright into the AHL

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Jesus.

 

[kihei]

From a dream to a nightmare. What a gong show that goal was.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Pavs was one of my favorite Sharks but man ...

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Loser point secured.

 

[Irie]

The inability for this team to hold a lead when they get one late in games is starting to worry me.

 

[kihei]

A guaranteed point, anyway. Maybe a second point on the three-and-three. Get Matty on the ice from the start.

 

[brewski420]

Gotta get better at faceoffs. As soon as they lost the faceoff after the icing I got worried.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Dunn is having a hard time.

 

[brewski420]

Crap!! Good effort anyway.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Want to be mad but Dallas is a better team than us.

 

[kihei]

The point is nice but yucky feeling anyway. We are lousy at protecting a lead late in the game.

Want to be mad but Dallas is a better team than us.

Now let's not muddy the discussion here with facts.

 

[Toomany7pins]

Can’t blow late leads even against good teams. Defense and goaltending needs to improve in a hurry.

 

[Irie]

Want to be mad but Dallas is a better team than us.

Dallas plays a better team game, for certain, but I don't feel they are really a more talented team - at least not the way it felt like last year when the Kraken were playing teams like Tampa or the Avs.

I feel like Seattle is a deeper squad, but they just don't execute quite as well.

 

[Toomany7pins]

Can’t blow late leads even against good teams. Defense and goaltending needs to improve in a hurry

 

[GrungeHockey]

Another heartbreaker. At least we get a point from this one. Pity though as the Kraken were the better team in OT, just couldn't finish.
Good game though. Fun to watch.

 

[gstommylee]

Can’t blow late leads even against good teams. Defense and goaltending needs to improve in a hurry.

2 goals going late into a game is good goaltending....

 

[Toomany7pins]

Dallas plays a better team game, for certain, but I don't feel they are really a more talented team - at least not the way it felt like last year when the Kraken were playing teams like Tampa or the Avs.

I feel like Seattle is a deeper squad, but they just don't execute quite as well.

2 goals going late into a game is good goaltending....

They didn’t finish. The game is 60 minutes not 58.
The defense in front of the net NOT clearing the puck out of the zone is a slightly bigger issue than the goaltending, but goaltending is still an issue, especially late recently.

 

[gstommylee]

They didn’t finish. The game is 60 minutes not 58.
The defense in front of the net NOT clearing the puck out of the zone is a slightly bigger issue than the goaltending, but goaltending is still an issue, especially late recently.

and where do we suppose to find that so called better goalie when there isnt a really strong goalie pool at the moment.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Well, at least we got a point and actually gained that point on Edmonton tonight.

I think the team's got a lot of heart and always keeps on going.
Though, defensively it's not great and we're also not good at getting the puck out of our own zone.

The one play that got me in this one was Bjorkstrand in the third period.
He got the puck, was basically at the blueline and all of a sudden he turns back makes a tough pass that ends up being a turnover and they end up hitting the post cause Grubauer somehow got his shoulder on it.

That's just not intelligent hockey in situations like that when you're in the third period and are playing a tight game against a really good team.

Also, that power play's just not all that good and way to predicable.
Not having any kind of a good faceoff guy doesn't help as well(just look at all the times they start the pp behind their own goal with 20 seconds already gone) and I'd be surprised if Francis doesn't bring in more phyiscality at forward as well, cause we hardly have anyone being able to play net front and make things tough on goalies.

Loser point secured.

Yeah, at least we got that.

You can't defend every situation on a 5v6 and Dallas has a lot of big guys that are tough to handle and also make it tough on your goalie.

Though, if the team's able to get a point per game for the rest of the season the Kraken would end up with 97 points which should be enough to make the playoffs.

They didn’t finish. The game is 60 minutes not 58.
The defense in front of the net NOT clearing the puck out of the zone is a slightly bigger issue than the goaltending, but goaltending is still an issue, especially late recently.

I thought Grubauer was OK but the chances we're giving up are just way too good.
I mean we had more shots but looking at the quality of chances, I just think Grubauer faced more high danger chances than Oettinger.

Still would like for our $5.9M goalie to make a couple more tough saves though.

 

[Kat Predator]

The 6 on 5 special teams may need some work. Losing the faceoff (Benn is admittedly clutch in those situations) just broke the play afterwards. Odd to see the puck out of the crease and both d-men standing on their skates behind the goalie, who they were arguably interfering with to some extent.

The good is that we hung with the best team in the Central. There were stretches that they dominated play, but there were stretches we pushed back and dominated the play as well. And then there were stretches where both teams threw out structure and just traded rushes back and forth. We played competitive hockey against a solid team and had a solid chance to win it. If that icing had been an ENG, we win. Edge-of-your-seat playoff hockey here we come.

PS: Dallas was already playing well and then went shopping at the TDL. On paper, they look loaded. So it was nice to see that we could compete and butt heads even after standing pat, etc.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

The 6 on 5 special teams may need some work. Losing the faceoff (Benn is admittedly clutch in those situations) just broke the play afterwards. Odd to see the puck out of the crease and both d-men standing on their skates behind the goalie, who they were arguably interfering with to some extent.

The good is that we hung with the best team in the Central. There were stretches that they dominated play, but there were stretches we pushed back and dominated the play as well. And then there were stretches where both teams threw out structure and just traded rushes back and forth. We played competitive hockey against a solid team and had a solid chance to win it. If that icing had been an ENG, we win. Edge-of-your-seat playoff hockey here we come.

PS: Dallas was already playing well and then went shopping at the TDL. On paper, they look loaded. So it was nice to see that we could compete and butt heads even after standing pat, etc.

This is the takeaway that I am trying for from these games. It's easy to be down but my hope is that the coming off-season lets us add maybe one more impact player.

I am hopeful that Wright has a long playoff run to build confidence and works on improving his game more this off-season so that he can contribute next season. Maybe Evans does as well. Melanson is my dark horse.

If next season goes the same way (playoff contention) as this one, I think Francis could be more aggressive at the TDL.