The Dallas Stars clinched a playoff spot with a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken Saturday night.
Dallas will compete for the Stanley Cup for the fourth consecutive season. The Stars now sit four points behind Winnipeg for the best record in the conference.
Jason Robertson scored his 33rd goal of the season about eight minutes into the first period, tying the game at 1-1.
Roope Hintz put the Stars ahead for good with a power-play goal with 1:36 remaining in the second period.
Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger finished with 34 saves.
Mason Marchment added a power-play goal in the third period as part of an efficient night for Dallas. The Stars registered just 21 shots on goal but maintained consistent pressure on the Kraken defensemen.
The Stars scored two more goals in the final 20 minutes to secure the win.
Seattle struck first at 1:27 of the first period. A turnover near the blue line allowed James McCann to find Eeli Tolvanen crashing the side of the net for the Kraken’s lone goal.
The Kraken finished with 35 shots on goal.
Game Notes
Dallas has established itself as one of the NHL’s top teams since the opening month of the season. The Stars aren’t flashy but excel at grinding opponents down.
Seattle showed physicality against one of the league’s best teams, registering 17 hits and 21 blocked shots.
A high-sticking call against Seattle’s Brandon Montour just 14 seconds into the third period led to Marchment’s power-play goal, his 19th of the season.
The Stars, one of the top eight teams in the league in face-off win percentage, dominated at the dot with a 55-44 percent advantage over Seattle.
These two teams will meet again Monday night in Seattle.
