Thursday was May 4th, also known as Star Wars Day. If you're a Star Wars fan, may the fourth be with you.
Whether you're a Star Wars fan or not, you should still read my recap of Game 2 between the Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken at American Airlines Center on Thursday night. The Stars turned the page and tied the series 1-1 with a 4-2 victory in Game 2. Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger made 25 saves for a win, while Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer stopped 33 out of 37 shots in a losing effort. The Stars' starting lineup featured Miro Heiskanen, Ryan Suter, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Tyler Seguin, and Jake Oettinger. Robertson, a back-to-back 40-goal scorer in the regular season, entered Thursday's game with just two goals and five assists in seven playoff games. Robertson's offensive prowess is arguably necessary for the Stars' playoff success. While neither team scored in the first period, Dallas picked up the pace and generated some power in the final four minutes. The Stars outshot the Kraken 10-5 after 20 minutes of play. The Stars found a way to break through in the second period. Wyatt Johnston put home a rebound for his second postseason goal and made it 1-0 Stars at 3:43. Evgenii Dadonov helped the Stars to a 2-0 lead at 9:04 when he put home a puck on a wraparound for his fourth postseason goal. Tye Kartye pulled the Kraken within one when he skated to the top of the circle on a rush and fired a shot into the net for his second postseason goal at 11:05. Joe Pavelski netted a power-play goal on a loose puck for his fifth postseason goal and extended the Stars' lead to 3-1 at 16:57. The Stars led 3-1 at the end of the second period. Dallas outshot Seattle 30-14 after 40 minutes of play. Both teams played with fire in the third period. Tyler Seguin expanded the Stars' lead to 4-1 at 10:59. Seguin tipped in a shot for his fifth postseason goal. Jordan Eberle cut the Stars' lead in half at 16:32. Eberle realized that Miro Heiskanen didn't have a stick, moved around Heiskanen, and fired a shot over Jake Oettinger. The Stars wrapped up 60 minutes of play with a 37-27 lead in shots. The Stars travel to Seattle to take on the Kraken in Game 3 on Sunday at 8:30 pm Central.