On Wednesday, Feb. 25, the Seattle Kraken opened their season from the Olympic break against the Dallas Stars. The two teams already faced off against each other twice, with Dallas taking home both wins. In this game, Dallas took an early lead, scoring once late in the first period and then three times in the second. The Kraken finally began making a comeback in the third with an early goal, but it was not enough, and the Stars ended the game with a 4-1 win in their first game back from break.
This game closed out the season series between the two teams, earning Dallas the sweep.
Kraken Already Suffering Injuries
Early in the first period, defenseman Ryan Lindgren went down after laying a huge hit on Colin Blackwell. Both players went back to their bench, but Blackwell was able to finish out the game. Lindgren, on the other hand, went down the tunnel and did not return. He recorded a total ice time of 1:24, only taking two shifts.
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The Kraken just activated Berkly Catton and Ben Meyers from injured reserve (IR) ahead of this game. Hopefully, they don’t have to place another player on IR. This was also the first game back from the break, and to already be dealing with another injury would be an unfortunate circumstance for Seattle.
Kraken Had a Sluggish Start
It’s hard to deny that Dallas controlled the puck for the majority of the game. In the first period alone, the Stars had ten shots compared to the Kraken’s three. By the time the Kraken recorded their fifth shot, the Stars were already up by three goals. Seattle looked tired out there, and they played like it, too.
Yes, the team just got back from the Olympic break, and the majority of them, aside from Eeli Tolvanen on the ice last night, went away on vacation or stayed home to relax. They must still be in vacation mode after this performance.
Granted, the Kraken were missing some key players. Lindgren went down early, which put a lot of pressure on the five remaining defenseman. Plus, they were missing Kaapo Kakko in the lineup, who just helped Finland win the bronze medal alongside Tolvanen. He was a healthy scratch for this game, likely so he has a chance to rest before getting back out onto the ice for the second half of their back-to-back. Now that the Kraken are back in the game, hopefully, this was a wake-up call before taking on the St. Louis Blues.
Evans Broke the Goal Drought
Early in the first period, the Kraken had the puck in their zone, and while the Stars tried to get it out, Catton skated up to the net and took a shot. The puck bounced off the post and went straight to Ryker Evans. He took a shot through traffic, and a down Casey DeSmith, and scored the lone goal for the Kraken.
The defense had to step up in this game, with the early absence of Lindgren, and Evans stepped up to the task. He has played in 42 games this season and has recorded 13 points amongst six goals and seven assists. Last season, he recorded 25 points, and only five of them were goals. With this goal, Evans is currently at his career best, and there are still 25 more games to go.
Kraken to Play a Second Half of a Back-to-Back
The Kraken just played their first game back from the Olympic break, and they are not slowing down. They’ll take on the Blues on Thursday, Feb. 26.
