Seattle, WA
Dallas Stars clinch central division title with victory over Seattle Kraken – Times of India
Craig Smith also found the back of the net for the Stars, who improved their record to 51-21-9, totaling 111 points for the season.Despite having an opportunity to clinch the Western Conference regular-season crown, the Stars fell just short as the Vancouver Canucks won their game.
In the victory, goaltender Jake Oettinger made 26 saves, preserving the win for Dallas and keeping them one point behind the New York Rangers for the top spot in the NHL standings.
Dallas capitalized on scoring opportunities late in the first two periods, with goals from Smith and Robertson. Heiskanen sealed the win with a goal in the third period, extending the Stars’ lead to 3-0.
Although the Kraken managed to spoil Oettinger’s shutout bid with a goal from Kailer Yamamoto in the third period, it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback against the Stars’ strong performance.
In other news, the Kraken made roster moves by reassigning Shane Wright, Ryan Winterton, and Logan Morrison to Coachella Valley of the AHL to prepare for the Calder Cup playoffs. Wright, the fourth overall pick in the 2022 draft, was nearing the threshold to trigger his entry-level contract.
(Inputs from Reuters)