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3 Takeaways From Kraken’s 5-4 Game 1 OT Win Over Stars

Jake Oettinger Dallas Stars Oliver Bjorkstrand Seattle Kraken

It was a back-and-forth affair in Dallas on Tuesday night, as the Seattle Kraken defeated the Dallas Stars 5-4 in an overtime thriller. The win puts the Kraken up 1-0 in their best-of-seven series, which mirrors the start of their first-round series.

There was plenty to talk about in this game, and despite the stress that comes with an overtime game, it was very fun to watch as a hockey fan. Now that the action has died down and the dust is settling, let’s take a look at a few things that stood out in a very exciting matchup.

3. First-Period Explosion

Despite giving up the first goal of the game for the first time since the playoffs started, that didn’t stop the Kraken from exploding with four goals on 11 shots in the first period. It was a terrific display of resilience, as they didn’t allow the opening pressure from the Stars to wear them down.

Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Seattle Kraken scores on Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars (Photo by Sam Hodde/NHLI via Getty Images)

Instead, after going down 2-1, the Kraken countered with two goals from Justin Schultz and Oliver Bjorkstrand in 11 seconds to tie and take the lead. They went on to add another shortly after, but the quick goal outburst was thought-provoking. Thanks to a suggestion from my fellow THW writer, Adam Kierszenblat, I tried to ponder what else can be done in 11 seconds. My other THW colleague Sean Raggio had 19 seconds to work with after an offensive burst in Game 3 of the Kraken’s first-round series, so this might be a bit more challenging. Let’s give this a go:

  • A shoe can be tied (two if you’re fast.)
  • Miss Olympic qualifying for the 100M sprint by just under a second.
  • Send a brief but thoughtful message to a colleague.
  • Add The Hockey Writers to your bookmarks for easy access.
  • Time is a construct and may not even be linear, so I’ll let you ponder that for the rest of this article.

Related: Kraken vs Stars – Everything You Need to Know

Enough about the endless cycle of time, and back to the terrific first period from the Kraken. They got to Jake Oettinger, who is widely regarded as one of the best goalies remaining in the postseason. By doing so, it provides the Kraken with a boost of energy while shaking the confidence of the opponent early.

2. The Pavelski Show

Despite their efforts to shut down the Stars, the Kraken were unable to lock down Joe Pavelski in his first game since getting injured in Game 1 of the Stars’ first-round series against the Minnesota Wild. He scored four…

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