DALLAS –The Kraken fell behind, 2-0, for a second straight night, this time against one of the Western Conference’s top teams during this decade. But there was no reversal of momentum here in Texas. The Stars moved to 3-0 on the season with a decisive 2-0 victory. Dallas has yet to allow a goal in six periods at home this season.

Seattle finished with 25 shots on goal, testing new Dallas backup goalie Casey DeSmith on a few chances, especially in the second period. But DeSmith and goalie partner Jake Oettinger both own shutouts already. The Stars’ two-goal lead was built in less than a quarter-minute via two first-period goals scored 13 seconds apart.

Dunn Sits Out, Mahura Suits Up

Saturday’s shootout win over Minnesota came with a cost. Kraken coach Dan Bylsma began his pre-game press conference Sunday in Dallas by informing that top-pair defenseman Vince Dunn is “day-to-day, upper body.” Reserve defenseman Josh Mahura stepped into the lineup, pairing with Will Borgen while young D-man Ryker Evans moved alongside Seattle stalwart Adam Larsson. When Dunn was out with a neck injury late season last spring, Evans and Larsson were a tandem over several games.

Mid-game, Bylsma reunited the Will Borgen-Ryker Evans pairing. Overall, Kraken coach Dan Bylsma thought the defensive corps was solid, especially in the absence of an elite defenseman like Dunn.

“I thought the ‘D’ played pretty well as a group,” said Bylsma. “We’ve moved Ryker back with Will for the second half of the game. They’ve played real well together the first couple games … it’s adjustments you’re making in the game given the score, given the time [remaining]. We want offensive guys out there at the end of the game to try to get us that goal. Monty [Brandon Montour] is s playing a lot in that regard. Ryker’s playing a lot in that regard.”

Going (Differently) Forward in Third Period

Bylsma mixed up his forward lines in the third period, looking for an offensive spark. He broke up the line of Chandler Stephenson centering Jaden Schwartz and Andre Burakovsky “because the line was just generating enough” with hopes those players could create scoring chances with other linemates. Overall, Bylsma credited his squad with playing “hard-fought game” against “a fast team that plays north.”

Kraken Defenseman Vow Team Can Do Better

No doubt like all of his teammates, D-man Brandon Montour was unhappy about the outcome and said he knows the Kraken can play better and get wins.

“Although it’s a back-to-back [games] and you might be tired, it is Game 3,” said Montour. “There should be no excuse, especially going against a team like Dallas, a top-end team in the West, especially for us as a team that’s looking to kind of get over the hump and get a good run in the playoffs. That’s one you should just kind of be up for.

“The game got away from us with simple, simple plays that could have been avoided. It’s little things. I think our team needs to learn, there are a little plays, whether it’s when you’re going back into the D-zone or we got a fast team, we’ve got to move our feet and create [offense] that way … it’s easy stuff that we can fix.”

“ We didn’t really generate much into third period,” said Adam Larsson. “That’s where we have to make a push, a strong push, to win the game. We have to be better … we have something really good going, we have an energized group, even today. We just have to keep working.”

First-Period Pressure from the Stars

By the midpoint of the opening 20 minutes, Dallas held a 7-1 advantage in shots on goal and it upped to 9-3 with five minutes left in the frame. Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer faced two high-danger shots in those 15 minutes, holding steady under what felt like constant pressure or presence or both in the Kraken zone. But a third Stars high-danger chance beat Grubauer and the defensive pair of Josh Mahura and Will Borgen when original Kraken Colin Blackwell zipped a pass from near-left corner to fellow fourth-liner Steel for a far-post (aka back-door) score.

Thirteen seconds later, Dallas doubled the lead when 21-ydear-old forward Wyatt Johnston, who led the Stars in goals last year with 32, fired a hard shot from the exact dot where the puck is dropped for faceoffs in the right circle. Grubauer, who appeared to overplay the near angle, couldn’t get to Johnston’s delivery far upper corner. The period ended 2-0, though Grubauer did make a Grade-A stop late period to keep the game within reach.

Second-Period Standoff

While Dallas goalie Casey DeSmith didn’t get much action in the first period, the Stars newcomer (he signed as a free agent after backing up in goal for Vancouver last year) was arguably the home team’s best player in the middle period. Steadily during the second stanza, the Kraken and drew close to even in total shots on goal in the first 40 minutes (Seattle outshot the Stars, 12 to 9, with Grubauer turning away three more high-danger chances and DeSmith handling two Grade-A shots on goal).

Among individual players, Kraken fourth-liner Brandon Tanev was credited with three shots on goal during the first two frames with linemate Tye Kartye notching two scorchers. Only three other forwards had shots on goal.

Third-Person Jump-Start Supplied

By the end of 40 minutes, both teams were 0-for-2 on powerplays with just two shots on goal apiece. Veteran Dallas forward Evgenii Dadonov did the Kraken a favor by high-sticking Seattle’s Jaden Schwartz to draw penalty with no time remaining on the second period. But a third Kraken power play finished empty of shots and much pressure.

Philipp Grubauer continued to keep the game within reach with a breakaway save on Dallas captain Tyler Sequin with 13 minutes in the third period. Then he made a second late-game stop on a Mason Marchment breakaway attempt. But Seattle couldn’t generate enough offense from there.

‘I thought Grubi played really well,” said Bylsma. “There were a couple barrages around the net in the first period, and he stayed strong. In the third period, they got the two breakaways. Grubi came up big on and kept us in the game. He gave us a chance.”