Joe Pavelski wasn’t the only scorer in his second game back, and the Dallas Stars got even in their first-round series against Seattle.
«Everybody was good,» coach Pete DeBoer said. «In Game 1, Joe Pavelski was great. Tonight, we had no passengers.»
Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger (29) and defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) defend the net as Seattle Kraken center Morgan Geekie (67) attempts to shoot in the second period of Game 2 of a playoff series from second round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup, Thursday, May 4, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Pavelski scored his fifth goal in two games since returning from concussion protocol, assisted by Wyatt Johnston, his 19-year-old rookie housemate, who also scored a goal. Evgenii Dadonov added a nifty wraparound goal and Tyler Seguin also scored and provided an assist for the Stars in their 4-2 win over the Kraken on Thursday night.
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«It’s been a strange few weeks in the Pavelski house,» Johnston said. «I’m just trying to do the best I can to learn from Joe. I mean, I’m just seeing what he’s done in these two games. It’s pretty amazing.»
In the Stars’ 5–4 overtime loss in Game 1, Pavelski scored all four of his goals. That was the 38-year-old forward’s first game since he hit his head hard on the ice after a big hit in Minnesota’s series opener in April. 17
Fans stand and cheer as Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski, center front, celebrates with the bench after scoring against the Seattle Kraken in the second period of Game 2 of a second-round playoff series in the NHL Stanley Cup Hockey, Thursday, May 4, 2023. in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
But just as they did in the first round against Minnesota, this time with Pavelski, the Stars rebounded from an overtime loss at home in the series opener and got even before hitting the road.
Game 3 is Sunday night in Seattle.
«We didn’t get into our game enough tonight at any point,» Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. «We had a couple of streaks. We were good in the first period, you knew the first few at-bats were going to be a boost from them… …We didn’t generate much.»
Jake Oettinger saved 25 for the Stars. Philipp Grubauer saved 33 shots.
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Before Pavelski’s final goal, Tye Kartye brought the Kraken to 2-1 at half-time when he took a long pass from Vince Dunn and fired around defender Miro Heiskanen to score.
Jordan Eberle also scored for the Kraken.
Johnston, who has lived with Pavelski’s family this season, set up his mentor’s power play goal when he initially sniffed the puck before spinning and sending it to Grubauer’s stick. Pavelski was there for the rebound and put the Stars up 3-1 with 3:03 remaining in the half.
Seattle Kraken left wing Tye Kartye (52) scores as Dallas Stars’ Miro Heiskanen (4) defends in the second period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second round playoff series, on Thursday, May 4, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
«It was great to be able to get an assist on his goal,» Johnston said. «Just a cool moment.»
Johnston’s second career playoff goal came just after the end of a power play early in the second period for a 1–0 lead. His 24 goals in the regular season tied for the NHL rookie lead.
Colin Miller had taken the shot from the top of the circle to the right of the net after receiving a cross from Max Domi from the opposite circle. Johnston initially put his sword on the puck, hitting the puck with its own rebound after it bounced off Grubauer’s chest.
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Dadonov, a trade-deadline addition, got his fourth playoff goal when he skated around the net and sent the puck sliding down the line, and finally over it, for a 2-0 lead and half his three goals in the second. period.
«They pushed a lot. I think they played a lot more together than we did, and that’s where we were exposed,» Dunn said. «I think we made the game much more difficult than it has to be for each other.»
Seguin put the Stars up 4-1 with his fifth goal of this postseason, his first even, midway through the third quarter. The veteran center is the only Dallas player to have won a Stanley Cup, as a 19-year-old rookie for Boston in 2011.