Stars vs. Kraken final score, results: Dallas holds off Seattle's comeback in Game 7 to win second-round series

Bryan Murphy

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Stars vs. Kraken final score, results: Dallas holds off Seattle's comeback in Game 7 to win second-round series image

The Stars are heading to the 2023 Western Conference Final. 

Dallas defeated Seattle 2-1 in Game 7 of their second-round series on Monday night. Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston lit the lamp for the Stars, while Jake Oettinger made 22 saves in the win. 

The Stars pressured Philipp Grubauer and the Kraken for a majority of the game. The Seattle goaltender finished with 26 saves in the losing effort. Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the lone goal for Seattle, which came with 17 seconds left in the contest. 

MORE: Watch 2023 NHL playoff games on ESPN with Fubo

It was as competitive of a series as you will find. The Kraken, in the franchise's first-ever postseason appearance, stayed alive with a win in Game 6, but could not find the same success on offense in the winner-take-all contest. 

With the win, the Stars set up a date with the Golden Knights in the conference finals. It's a rematch of the 2020 Western Conference Final, where Dallas defeated Vegas in five games. 

NHL PLAYOFFS: FULL BRACKET | PREDICTIONS 

The Sporting News provided live updates and highlights from Game 7 between the Stars and Kraken.

Stars vs. Kraken Game 7 score

  1 2 3 OT Final
Kraken 0 0 1 - 1
Stars 0 1 1 - 2

Stars vs. Kraken Game 7 live updates, highlights from 2023 NHL playoffs

Final: Stars 2, Kraken 1

10:35 p.m.: The Stars hang on for a 2-1 victory in Game 7 and are heading to the Western Conference Final. Oettinger with a great bounce back performance after he was pulled in Game 6. The Kraken could not generate anything all night long, and their magical run in their first postseason ends in the second round. The Stars have a date with the Golden Knights starting on Friday. 

10:33 p.m.: The Stars take their timeout with 9.2 seconds left. A offensive zone faceoff upcoming here for the Kraken. 

10:29 p.m.: GOAL! Not so fast. The Kraken get on the board with 17.6 seconds left as Bjorkstrand finally gets one through on Oettinger. A bouncing puck off a faceoff ends up on Bjorkstrand's stick and he finds the back of the net. But is it too little, too late for Seattle? Stars 2, Kraken 1. 

10:29 p.m.: Stoppage with 25 seconds left. Even with the extra attacker, the Kraken have generated nothing. The Stars have done a sensational job in its own zone of winning puck battles and not allowing the Kraken to get anything set up. 

10:25 p.m.: Grubauer heads to the Seattle bench with just under three minutes to go. An extra attacker is out for the Kraken. 

10:20 p.m.: Another puck rings the post, this time it's Oliver Bjorkstrand for Seattle. The Kraken haven't tested Oettinger a ton tonight, but that's the second shot that's hit the post for them. 

10:17 p.m.: GOAL! Wyatt Johnston gives Dallas some insurance late in the third. Dadonov sent the puck the length of the ice, but Johnston was the first one there to negate the icing. The 20-year-old rookie then flicked a slick backhand short side on Grubauer for the goal with 7:12 left in the third. It's desperation time for the Kraken. Stars 2, Kraken 0. 

10:15 p.m.: Seguin gets another chance, following behind the play on a rush by Mason Marchment, but Seguin's one-timer is turned aside by Grubauer. 

10:14 p.m.: There's only 9:04 left in the third, and the Stars remain ahead 1-0. Still waiting on that desperation push from the Kraken. 

10:06 p.m.: A Gourde slap shot from the top of the circles nearly beats Oettinger, but the Dallas goaltender shoulders off the shot. 

10:04 p.m.: About six minutes in, and we haven't seen the push yet from the Kraken. The Stars are still maintaining more of the possession, keeping their foot on the pedal rather than staying back and playing defensive. 

9:57 p.m.: The third period is a go. The Stars are 7-0 in the 2023 playoffs when leading after two periods, and the Kraken are 0-4 when down heading into the final frame. 

End of the second period: Stars 1, Kraken 0

9:37 p.m.: After two, it's a one-goal lead for the Stars heading into the third period. Hintz's goal is the only one so far in Game 7. Both Grubauer and Oettinger have been sensational in their respective crease. It feels like the Stars are slowly breaking down the Kraken, who made a number of turnovers late in the second that led to scoring chances. The Stars hold the edge in shots, 20 to 15. 

9:35 p.m.: Dallas is 7-1 in these playoffs when scoring first. A good pattern for the Stars, but one the Kraken are looking to break. 

9:32 p.m.: GOAL! Roope Hintz finally breaks the ice for the Stars. Oleksiak could not handle a bouncing puck in the neutral zone, Hintz took the puck away to get in all alone on Grubauer and went top shelf for his ninth of the playoffs. The first goal of Game 7 and it comes with 4:01 remaining the second. Stars 1, Kraken 0. 

9:27 p.m.: Back and forth we go at American Airlines Center. Jaden Schwartz had a chance for the Kraken at one end, whacking a loose puck in front of Oettinger wide of the net. Then it was Seguin getting another chance at the other, but his shot wouldn't go. For a 0-0 game, both teams could very easily have at least two or three goals. Grubauer and Oettinger have been stellar in their respective crease. 

9:25 p.m.: Another Grade-A chance for Benn doesn't go. A weird bounce dumped the puck right into the slot where Benn was to corral and fire a shot high, but it missed the net. 

9:24 p.m.: Tyler Seguin with a burst of energy nearly beats Grubauer off a rush. Seguin got the puck at full speed in the neutral zone, toe dragged around Will Borgen and tried to beat Grubauer on the glove side, but the Kraken goaltender flashed the leather. 

9:20 p.m.: Boy, Jason Robertson cannot buy a goal right now. He's still scoreless in this series. The Stars winger has hit a post tonight and was denied again by Grubauer on a backhand after stripping Matty Beniers behind the Kraken net. We're under nine minutes left in the period and still 0-0. 

9:15 p.m.: Jamie Oleksiak unloads a slap shot with space from the point, but Oettinger gets just enough with the glove to deflect it off the post and out. By far, the best look for the Kraken in the second. About nine minutes into the second, and not as eventful of a period as the first. 

9:10 p.m.: Dallas is going to work in the offensive zone. Back-to-back shifts now for the Stars where they are getting sustained pressure on the Kraken. They are moving the puck well from low to high and getting shots on net, but so far, nothing has beaten Grubauer. 

9:03 p.m.: The second period is underway from Dallas. 

End of the first period: Stars 0, Kraken 0

8:45 p.m.: After 20 minutes, the score remains 0-0. A strong start for both sides, but a clear advantage in shot attempts for the Stars, who had more than double the Kraken. Dallas also dominated in the faceoff department, and the Benn line created a plethora of scoring chances. The shots were even at 9-9 in the frame. 

8:44 p.m.: Beniers had the best look of the period for the Kraken, collecting as pass from behind the net as he cut through the slot, but his attempt missed the net. 

8:41 p.m.: Seattle's power play continues to struggle, failing to get any sustained offensive zone time on that man advantage, as Dallas kills it off. No shot attempts for Kraken on that power play, while there were two for the Stars while shorthanded. Seattle has yet to score a power play goal on the road during this postseason.

8:35 p.m.: The Kraken get their first power play of the night, as Benn is called for high-sticking. 

8:27 p.m.: Dallas spends the entire two minutes of the power play in the Seattle zone, but what a job of the Kraken penalty killers. There was at least four blocked shots on the power play, keeping it a scoreless game as we close in on the halfway mark in the first period. 

8:22 p.m.: The Stars are buzzing to start off the first. Another strong shift from the Benn line results in a loose puck in the Seattle crease and a scramble to knock it in. Somehow, Grubauer and the Kraken keep the puck out, but Eeli Tolvanen is called for cross-checking. Dallas is heading to a power play. 

8:17 p.m.: It's a game of inches. A dangerous rush from Johnston, Evgenii Dadonov and Jamie Benne generates a couple of scoring opportunities for Dallas, including a Miro Heiskanen slot shot that rings the post. 

8:14 p.m.: Both teams get a chance in the opening minute. First, Alex Wennberg gets shot off right on the doorstep for the Kraken, but he misses the net wide. Then, Wyatt Johnston comes down on the rush for the Stars and gets a good shot off on Grubauer, but it's turned aside. 

8:13 p.m.: The puck is down, and Game 7 is a go. The winner goes to the Western Conference Final. 

Pregame

7:55 p.m.: No changes in net for either side. Philipp Grubauer goes for the Kraken while Jake Oettinger gets the net for the Stars. 

7:45 p.m.: Here is how the lineups look in warmups. For the Stars, Luke Glendening comes in at forward for Ty Dellandrea, and Colin Miller dresses for Jani Hakanpaa. No changes for the Kraken from Game 6. 

7 p.m.: The last time the Stars played in a Game 7 was during the 2022 postseason. Dallas lost to Calgary in Game 7 of its first-round series. The Kraken's first Game 7 came in the first round of this postseason, when Seattle defeated Colorado in seven games. 

6:20 p.m.: Here is how the Stars' lines looked at the morning skate. We will have to wait until warmups to see how the Kraken's combinations may look. 

What time is Stars vs. Kraken Game 7?

  • Date: Monday, May 15
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. CT

The puck drop for Game 7 of the Stars vs. Kraken first-round series is at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. local time in Dallas, on Monday, May 1. 

The game is being played at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. 

What channel is Stars vs. Kraken Game 7 on today?

  • TV Channel (U.S.): ESPN
  • TV Channel (Canada): Sportsnet, TVAS 
  • Live stream (U.S.): ESPN+, ESPN app, Fubo 
  • Live stream (Canada): SN NOW

The Stars vs. Kraken Game 7 series decider will air live in the United States nationally on ESPN. 

Fans in Canada can watch the action on Sportsnet or TVA Sports for the French-speaking audience. 

For those looking to live stream the game, ESPN+ and the ESPN app are options in the United States, in addition to Fubo, which carries all NHL playoff games on ESPN and has a free trial.

In Canada, streamers can watch the game through SN NOW.

Stars vs. Kraken Game 7 odds

  • Puckline: Stars -1.5 (+120) | Kraken +1.5 (-140)
  • Moneyline: Stars -220 | Kraken +180
  • O/U: 6.0

The Stars enter Game 7 as favorites at home against the Kraken in the winner-take-all game. 

Odds provided by Bet 365

Stars vs. Kraken series schedule

Date Site Time (ET) TV/Result
Tues., May 2 at Dallas FINAL Kraken 5, Stars 4 (OT)
Thurs., May 4 at Dallas FINAL Stars 4, Kraken 2
Sun., May 7 at Seattle FINAL Kraken 7, Stars 2
Tues., May 9 at Seattle FINAL Stars 6, Kraken 3
Thurs., May 11 at Dallas FINAL Stars 5, Kraken 2
Sat., May 13 at Seattle FINAL Kraken 6, Stars 3
Mon., May 15 at Dallas 8 p.m. ESPN, SN, TVAS

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.