Stars inch nearer to Western Conference finals with Game 5 win over Kraken

Roope Hintz had two objectives and an help, Joe Pavelski scored his seventh aim of the second-round collection and the Dallas Stars beat the Seattle Kraken 5-2 in Game 5 on Thursday night time to maneuver inside a victory of advancing to the Western Conference finals.

Pavelski additionally had an help on Hintz’s second aim, which ricocheted exhausting out of the web with 8:37 left for a two-goal lead, although play continued for almost a half-minute earlier than a replay evaluation that confirmed the rating. Radek Faksa added an empty-netter with 3:17 to go.

Dallas will take a 3-2 lead into Game 6 on Saturday in Seattle, the place the groups break up a pair of lopsided video games. The Kraken received 7-2 in Game 3, then the Stars rebounded with a 6-3 win in Game 4.

Stars goalie Jake Oettinger had 29 saves.

Dallas Stars’ Roope Hintz celebrates after scoring in opposition to the Seattle Kraken in the course of the first interval of Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff collection Thursday, May 11, 2023, in Dallas.  (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Pavelski’s rating on a backhander within the opening minute of the second interval, knocking in his personal rebound, put the Stars up 3-0. His 71st profession postseason aim prolonged his file for U.S.-born gamers.

Pavelski matched Sidney Crosby for the second-most profession playoff objectives by an lively participant – just one behind Alex Ovechkin. Pavelski and Crosby are tied with Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier for seventeenth on the general record.

Hintz has eight objectives and 10 assists within the Stars’ 11 video games this postseason. Pavelski missed the final 5 video games within the workforce’s first-round collection in opposition to Minnesota whereas in concussion protocol after a success in Game 1.

When Pavelski returned for the opener in opposition to the Kraken, he scored all 4 of Dallas’ objectives in a 5-4 additional time loss.

Rookie middle Wyatt Johnston additionally scored for the Stars, who’re hoping to repeat the sample from their opening-round collection in opposition to Minnesota. They additionally misplaced that opener in additional time at house and had been down 2-1 within the collection earlier than profitable three in a row and wrapping up with a street win.

Adam Larsson and Jared McCann scored for Seattle within the second interval.

Roope Hintz #24 of the Dallas Stars celebrates his aim with Thomas Harley #55 in the course of the first interval in opposition to the Seattle Kraken in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 11, 2023, in Dallas, Texas.  (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

OILERS’ DARNELL NURSE SUSPENDED FOR GAME 5 AFTER INSTIGATING FIGHT

McCann, their main goalscorer with 40 within the common season, bought his first of the playoffs and have become the 18th Kraken participant to attain this postseason. It was solely his second sport again after lacking six in a row on account of an damage sustained throughout a late hit from Colorado’s Cale Makar early in Game 4 of the primary spherical.

Dallas rapidly had a fast 1-0 lead when captain Jamie Benn gathered a blocked puck behind the web and made a fast cross in entrance to Johnston.

Jason Robertson, who within the common season turned the primary 100-point scorer for Dallas, had three assists at the same time as his aim drought stretched to 6 video games.

Robertson and Thomas Harley had the assists on the aim by Hintz simply 5 1/2 minutes into the sport that made it 2-0. Hintz scored from the highest of the left circle with a top-shelf shot over the shoulder of Phillip Grubauer, who stopped 16 pictures.

Only 35 seconds into the center interval, Robertson bought the first help on Pavelksi’s aim.

Joe Pavelski #16 of the Dallas Stars celebrates a aim in opposition to the Seattle Kraken in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 11, 2023, in Dallas, Texas  (Glenn James/NHLI through Getty Images)

Thursday marked the primary time the collection was again in Dallas after a lethal capturing on Saturday on the Allen Premium Outlets mall by which eight individuals had been killed and 7 others had been wounded. The shooter was killed by a police officer 4 minutes after the rampage started.

There was a second of silence and reflection noticed earlier than the nationwide anthem for town of Allen – a Dallas suburb – and the victims. Players from each groups wore “Allen Strong” decals on their helmets.