Time of 2024-25 Seattle Kraken playoff death: 4:04 pm Pacific Time Saturday, the moment of the final horn in St. Louis’ 2-1 victory over Colorado. The Blues 9th straight win officially put the “E” for “Eliminated” next to the Kraken’s name in the standings.
Though that outcome has been a mere formality for months, how the Kraken compete in their final nine games of this season will likely impact the makeup of the 2025-26 roster. That began Saturday with the first of two home games against Western Conference powerhouse Dallas Stars.
Power plays were the difference in Dallas’ 5-1 victory at Climate Pledge Arena. The visitors went 2-5 with the extra man, the home team 0-4. Jason Robertson’s goal and power play assist for Dallas counteracted an early Eeli Tolvanen strike, all in the 1st period. 10-year veteran Jared McCann contributed his career-high 34th assist. Mason Marchment added a 3rd period PPG, and Wyatt Johnston scored on the rush. Jake Oettinger made 35 saves for Dallas.
1st Period
An early delivery gives Seattle a 1-0 lead at 1:27. Jared McCann carries the mail around a Dallas defender right to the net. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger saves his shot, but Eeli Tolvanen beats his man to the rebound to poke the rebound home; Tolvanen’s 22nd of the season and McCann’s 5th assist in the last four games.
Grade-A chances each way. Dallas’ new $96 million man, Mikko Rantanen, comes steaming unopposed down left wing, but Kraken goalie Joey Daccord turns away his blast. At the other end, Jordan Eberle’s wide open look is blockered aside by Oettinger.
On a Kraken power play, Jani Nyman is stripped by Wyatt Johnston. Daccord, who’s seen way too many shorthanded breakaways, calmly absorbs Johnston’s shot into his “S” crest.
Daccord doesn’t get enough help from his friends on the Stars’ tying goal at 11:50. Sam Steel works out from behind the net, forcing the goalie far to his right to make a pad save. This leaves the net unguarded as the rebound deflects into the slot. Jason Robertson will never have an easier putback for his 33rd goal.
Defenseman Ryker Evans, not a favorite lately of Kraken coach Dan Bylsma, takes a slashing penalty late in the period. Dallas uses tic-tac-toe passing on the PP to capitalize, Roope Hintz roofing a shot from the right circle past Daccord at 18:24 for a 2-1 lead.
KHN Screengrab
Shots favored Seattle 12-9, but the Kraken failed on both of their power plays, while the Stars scored on theirs.
2nd Period
Seattle’s third power play is short-circuited by a too many men minor. The Kraken, so confident handling the puck in the first 10 minutes, have been treating the disc more like a hand grenade ever since. It feels like just a matter of time before it explodes.
6-foot-0 Kraken forward Mikey Eyssimont fights 6-foot-7 Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel. Dallas, by the way, has dressed seven d-men and 11 forwards.
The Kraken in the second half of the period are finally starting to tilt the ice back their way. Off an Andre Burakovsky shot, Tolvanen fires the rebound wide with net to shoot at. Jaden Schwartz, below the goal line, feeds Tye Kartye between the circles for a great chance which gets deflected out of play. Schwartz himself finds a soft spot in the Dallas “D” but Oettinger makes the save. Oettinger also gets a pad on Eberle’s tip of a Josh Mahura blue line rocket.
Nyman bats a puck from his defensive zone into the stands, setting up Dallas’ third extra man advantage. Just after the Kraken kill it, Schwartz goes off for tripping. Daccord makes two key shorthanded saves on Mason Marchment 10 seconds apart, keeping the deficit at one after 40 minutes. Seattle has a 24-14 lead in SOG after two periods.
3rd Period
Brandon Montour is whistled for high-sticking 14 seconds into the period. Seattle, playing with fire, is handing Dallas its third power play in the last six minutes of game time. It takes just another 14 ticks for Marchment to score the Stars’ second PPG of the game for a 3-1 lead.
Mikael Granlund is sent off for holding Tolvanen’s stick. Seattle gets zero SOG on their fourth power play, and just three shots total on their quartet of extra man chances.
Johnston ices the Dallas victory with a beauty of a rush, racing down the wing and sliding to the middle past a defenseless Adam Larsson, then depositing a backhand over a fallen Daccord at 12:56. Kraken coach Dan Bylsma pulled his goalie with four minutes remaining, allowing Rantanen to pot a gift empty-netter for his 31st.
Up Next
Following the Monday rematch with the Stars at CPA, the Kraken begin their last road trip of the season. The five-game excursion begins Wednesday in Vancouver, followed by stops in San Jose, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.