Dallas 1, Seattle 0 After 20 Minutes
Praiseworthy: The ABC-TV telecast (produced by ESPN) includes two women: analyst A.J. Mleczko, a gold medalist with the U.S. Olympic Team, and rinkside reporter Blake Bolden, an L.A. Kings scout and the first Black woman to play professional hockey.
Cringeworthy: ABC didn't join the Kraken-Stars game until eight minutes had been played, while the network showed overtime and a shootout between the Rangers & Islanders. The start in Dallas was shuttled to the dollar store of cable TV sports, ESPNews.
As for the game itself, it won't include three Kraken rookies who injected life into the Seattle lineup.
Forwards Tomas Tatar and Kailer Yamamoto return to the Kraken lineup.
3:31 into the game - y'know, the part you probably didn't see - Brandon Tanev's older brother Chris fired a wrist shot saved by Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer. So? Dallas wouldn't have another SOG for 14+ minutes, until Grubauer robbed Joe Pavelski on the doorstep at 17:26.
The period lasts two seconds too long for Seattle. A harmless-looking shot from the blueline is deflected by Craig Smith past Grubauer for a 1-0 Dallas lead at 19:58.
Shots in the first favored Seattle 8-4.