Defenseman Adam Larsson scored on a breakaway backhander 1:52 into overtime, and emergency call-up goaltender Joey Daccord made 25 saves in his first NHL appearance since Nov. 1 as the Seattle Kraken defeated the Dallas Stars 5-4 on Tuesday night.
Brandon Tanev scored twice and had an assist, fourth-line forward Daniel Sprong added a goal and an assist, and Jared McCann netted his team-best 34th goal along with an assist for the Kraken, who solidified their hold on the first wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Jamie Benn sent the game into overtime with a tying goal with 0.7 seconds left and contributed two assists. Miro Heiskanen and Joe Pavelski each had a goal and an assist, and Wyatt Johnston also scored for the Stars, who rallied from a two-goal deficit in the final four minutes.
Larsson took a pass off the boards from McCann near Seattle’s goal line and sprinted toward the net, getting behind Heiskanen.
“Those are the kinds of plays you need this time of year,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “Giving up those two (goals) at the end can be pretty disappointing. Yet we went out and found a way to win it.”
With 90 points and 11 games remaining, Dallas is tied for first place in the Central Division with the Minnesota Wild. Jake Oettinger, who ranks sixth in the NHL with a 2.46 goals-against average, came off a 6-5 win at Calgary that capped a 4-2 road trip, including two wins in Seattle.
“Given up 10 goals in the last two games,” said Oettinger, whose primary backup, Scott Wedgewood, has been out for a month with a knee injury. “Something’s gotta change.”
Daccord was called up from Coachella Valley of the AHL on Monday with No. 1 goalie Philipp Grubauer unavailable due to a non-COVID illness. It was the 13th career NHL start for the 26-year-old Daccord, who improved to 3-8-1 in his NHL career.
“It was a pretty crazy 24 hours,” Daccord said. “It didn’t really give me time to think. Just get in there and do it.”
Tanev had his first two-goal game since Oct. 26, 2021, and his first three-point game since Nov. 29, 2021. His second goal put Seattle ahead 4-2 at 14:03 of the third period.
Johnston’s goal was his 21st, the most among league rookies, and gave him a five-game goal streak.
Dallas appeared to pull within 4-3 seconds later, but Ty Dellandrea’s goal was successfully challenged for goaltender interference on Max Domi.
Pavelski scored at 16:34 in the third quarter, and Benn scored with an extra attacker on the ice. Benn has 30 goals for the fifth time.
Heiskanen has an 11-game points streak, tying the Minnesota-Dallas franchise record for defensemen set by Craig Hartsburg in 1986-87.
Blueline History
Heiskanen’s points streak, combined with a 12-game streak by Kraken D Vince Dunn, made for the first NHL game, featuring multiple defensemen with double-digit scoring streaks. Dunn’s streak, the longest current streak in the NHL, ended.
Travelin’ Men
The Kraken are 23-9-3 away from Seattle for 49 points, the most of any Western team in road play. They also improved to 28-1-3 when leading after two periods.
NOTES
- Kraken F John Hayden is out for at least 12 weeks following surgery Monday on his right leg after being injured in a fight during Saturday’s loss to Edmonton.
- Pavelski played in his 1,239th career NHL game, moving him into 14th place among all-time American-born players.
UP NEXT
- Kraken: Continue their four-game road trip with games on Thursday and Saturday against the Nashville Predators.
- Stars: Host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.
