Dallas Stars: 3 Key Factors in Game 1 Loss to Seattle Kraken 

By Sam Nestler

Modified May 03, 2023 21:58 GMT

The Dallas Stars squandered multiple leads before falling 5-4 in overtime to the Seattle Kraken in Game 1 of their second-round series.

3 Factors that led to Dallas Stars Game 1 loss to the Seattle Kraken.

1) The Stars did not take advantage of their time off

The Stars had all of the advantages going into Game 1 vs. the Kraken. Seattle was coming off an emotional Game 7 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. They had to play Sunday and travel to Dallas after the game. Dallas had been waiting at home since Saturday. The Stars got off to a 1-0 start early in the first period and looked to be in control of the game.

But after Joe Pavelski scored to give them a 2-1 lead, the Stars lost their focus and paid the price. The Kraken dominated the rest of the period, scoring three straight goals within the span of a minute.

Stars coach Pete DeBoer felt that his team didn't maintain their intensity throughout the game.

"If you watched the Toronto vs. Florida game, the teams coming off Game 7 against teams that are sitting around waiting have an adjustment period," said DeBoer.

"Florida Panthers looked like they were flying around the ice and Toronto looked like they were standing still a little bit. We adjusted and got into the game we just didn’t do enough for long enough with enough detail in our game to win. That’s the bottom line."

Dallas was able to come back and force the game into overtime. But realistically, the Stars should have taken advantage of the extra energy they had heading into Game 1.

2) Jake Oettinger had an off night.

Jake Oettinger was probably the best goalie during the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The 23-year-old posted a 2.01 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage in six games against the Minnesota Wild. He stopped 23 of 24 shots in Game 6 to clinch the series win for Dallas.

But Oettinger looked shaky last night against Seattle Kraken. He looked visibly nervous and wasn't making the right reads in the net. His jitters had an impact on Seattle scoring four straight goals in the opening frame.

Seattle Kraken v Dallas Stars - Game One

To his credit, Oettinger settled into the game nicely. After the first period, he stopped 31 straight shots before Yanni Gourde beat him in overtime. However, the Stars netminder finished with a sub .900 save percentage, which is well below his standard.

3) Dallas lost their identity

The Dallas Stars are one of the most structured teams in the league. Opposing coaches and players often describe them as an extremely tough team to play against. They can beat you in multiple ways. If they stick to their game plan, they are difficult to beat. But in Game 1, they did not showcase their unique brand of 'Dallas Stars Hockey'.

Rather than controlling possession and clogging up the neutral zone, the Stars allowed Seattle to drag them into an up-and-down game. While Dallas has plenty of offensive weapons, this style of play is not their strength.

The Stars had a habit of playing down to their opponents during the regular season. They often didn't play true to their identity. On Tuesday night, they allowed the Kraken to have an impact on how they play. As a result, they are down 1-0 in the series.