The Seattle Kraken fell 5-1 to the Dallas Stars on Saturday night in a game that served as a painful mirror for the franchise—showing how far they’ve drifted from the playoff contender they were just two seasons ago. In a rematch of their memorable seven-game playoff battle from 2023, this time the stakes were far less balanced. The loss not only eliminated the Kraken from postseason contention but also clinched a playoff berth for the surging Stars.
Stars shine, Kraken fade in playoff clincher
Seattle started the night on the right foot. Just 1:27 into the game, Eeli Tolvanen rifled home his 22nd of the season, edging closer to Jaden Schwartz in the team’s internal goal-scoring race. Jared McCann and Andre Burakovsky notched assists on the play, giving the home crowd a reason to believe early on. But that optimism quickly faded.
Dallas responded with two goals in the first period, including a power-play marker from Roope Hintz. After a scoreless second, the Stars erupted in the third. Mason Marchment scored just 28 seconds in, followed by Wyatt Johnston at 12:56. Mikko Rantanen, who had his best game since joining Dallas, sealed it with an empty-net goal to cap a three-point night.
The result dropped the Kraken to 31-37-6 on the season and made them the fourth team officially eliminated from playoff contention. They now sit with the fourth-best odds for the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft and—with the second toughest strength of schedule remaining—there's potential to climb even higher in the lottery order.
Previewing the rematch
Seattle now hosts the Stars again Monday night, aiming for a better result and a chance to play spoiler. With their playoff hopes extinguished, the Kraken are shifting their focus to development and closing the season strong. Tonight is about pride, progress, and proving they can hang with the league’s best.
There’s still reason to watch. The battle between Tolvanen and Schwartz for the team goal-scoring lead is heating up. Kaapo Kakko is one point away from setting a new personal best. And Jani Nyman continues to impress in his first taste of NHL action, tallying 6 points in his first 9 games.
With Joey Daccord allowing four goals on 20 shots Saturday (.800 SV%), the door might be open for Philipp Grubauer to get the start tonight. Grubauer has looked sharper since his return from the AHL and could benefit from more reps down the stretch.
Eyes on the Draft
With elimination now official, the Kraken currently hold the fourth-best odds in the draft lottery. Given their second-toughest remaining schedule in the NHL, there's a legitimate chance they could slide into the third spot by season’s end.
Every game from here on out is a balance—develop the young core, compete hard, but understand the longer-term benefit of staying in that lottery mix.