In Seattle, the Stars scored early and often in the middle frame en route to a 6-3 win over the Kraken on Tuesday night.
The Game 4 win evens the series, 2-2, headed back to Dallas on Thursday.
“Second period, we were just late to everything,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “We were a step behind in terms of getting there offensively, forecheck wise, and on the flip side, defensively we were just late getting there.”
Jamie Benn hit off the power play at 17:13 of the first period to give the Stars a 1-0 lead.
It was a four-goal second period that made the difference in the game.
“I’d love to say I aimed it, but [I] just tried to shoot as quick as I could and it went in,” Dallas’ Thomas Harley said. “We got out-competed, out-battled in Game 3, and that was the big thing coming into tonight was that we cannot let that happen again. We got what we deserved in Game 3, and we out-competed them tonight and got the win.”
Harley, Max Domi and Joe Pavelski (power play) scored before the second was 11 minutes old for a 4-1 lead.
“We know what happened last game wasn’t good enough (a 7-2 loss in Game 3 on Sunday), and I think as a whole we had everyone going and everyone bounced back nice,” Domi said. “I just think everyone was hungrier than the last game, and it showed. Everyone wanted to win every battle out there and win every puck, and I think everyone did that.”
Jake Oettinger made 16 saves in the Dallas win.
“It was unreal. [The defense] made it really easy on me,” Oettinger said. “It’s not always going to be one goal on 40 shots, so whatever it takes, and the win is the most important thing, and we were the better team.”
Jaden Schwartz scored the first of his two on the night to stop the Dallas run in the second, to make the score 4-1.
“We didn’t get to our game until the third period,” Schwartz said. “They had a higher desperation to start the game, executed better, were the more desperate team, and we were on our heels and weren’t able to get much going.”
Roope Hintz scored with 53 seconds left in the second period to give the Stars a 5-1 advantage headed to the third.
Seattle tried to rally with two goals.
Schwartz potted his second of the game to make it 5-2, and Adam Larsson scored at 15:49 of the period to make it 5-3.
That was as close as the Kraken could get.
Domi hit a double into an empty net for the 6-3 final at 17:39 of the third.
“It’s obviously nice to chip in and help the team out, but I think we had everyone going tonight,” Domi said. “Everyone was making plays, everyone was competing and winning battles we needed to win because that’s a great team over there. We know that. They work hard. A lot of speed, great goalie, great defense, so it’s not easy to generate, but when you do you have to find ways to capitalize.”
Philipp Grubauer got the start for the Kraken and made 17 saves, surrendering five goals. He got the hook in the second intermission.
Martin Jones made two saves in a mop up role.
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