9:07 pm
April 3

Stars @ Kraken

Who will WIN this matchup?

Dallas Stars (39-25-3)

@ Seattle Kraken (21-41-6)

 

Starting Goalies:

Jake Oettinger (DAL): Confirmed

Chris Driedger (SEA): Confirmed

 

Current odds:

Dallas Stars: (-154)

Seattle Kraken: (+128)

 

• The Seattle Kraken won’t make the NHL playoffs in their inaugural season, but they might play a factor in who does. After being swept in back-to-back games at home by the Vegas Golden Knights, the Kraken will host the Dallas Stars on Sunday. The Golden Knights and Stars have been going back and forth in recent days in their battle for the Western Conference’s final wild-card berth.

• This will be the first of two meetings between the Stars and Kraken, who are also scheduled to meet April 23 in Dallas. The Golden Knights swept their four-game season series with Seattle.

• The Stars (39-25-3, 81 points) moved a point ahead of idle Vegas on Saturday with a 5-4 victory at San Jose. Dallas has three games in hand on the Golden Knights, having played 67 to Vegas’ 70.

• The Stars scored four first-period goals Saturday, then hung on late. Joe Pavelski, Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz each had a goal and an assist, and Tyler Seguin added three helpers. Goaltender Scott Wedgewood, a trade-deadline acquisition, made 24 saves.

• The Stars have won the first three games on their four-game trip that concludes Sunday. They’re 5-1-0 in their past six games to pull within a point of wild-card leader Nashville.

• Stars defenseman Esa Lindell missed his second straight game Saturday with an upper-body injury. “There would be a chance he could play (in Seattle), but without skating (Saturday) or the last couple of days, that would be iffy as well,” Dallas coach Rick Bowness said.

• The Kraken (21-41-6, 48 points) lost 3-0 to Vegas on Wednesday, then fell behind by that same score midway through Friday’s rematch. At that point, Jared McCann, the Kraken’s co-leading scorer with Yanni Gourde, dropped the gloves. Still, the willingness to do whatever it takes resonated with his teammates, who scored two third-period goals but also gave up two in the period in a 5-2 defeat. Alex Wennberg also scored for the Kraken, after a drop pass from McCann.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Dallas Stars
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