Casey DeSmith shines as Stars clean Kraken

Casey DeSmith made 25 saves in his Stars debut for his 11th career shutout as Dallas defeated the visiting Seattle Kraken 2-0 on Sunday night.

Sam Steel and Wyatt Johnston scored for the Stars, who extended their season-opening winning streak to three games.

It was the second shutout in as many nights for the Stars, as Jake Oettinger made 34 saves in a 3-0 victory over the New York Islanders in Dallas’ home opener on Saturday.

DeSmith’s toughest stop came with 1:32 left in the contest, as he had to make a kick save on a slap shot from the top of the left faceoff circle by Seattle’s Jaden Schwartz.

The Stars scored their goals 13 seconds apart late in the first period.

On the first tally, Thomas Harley picked off a Seattle clearance attempt at the blue line and fed the puck to Colin Blackwell down the left-wing boards. Blackwell’s centering pass across the top of the crease found Steel, and Steel jammed the puck between Philipp Grubauer’s pads as the goaltender tried to go post-to-post at the 16:17 mark of the frame.

The Stars won the ensuing faceoff and moved the puck down the right wing, with Jamie Benn leaving a drop pass for Johnston, whose snap shot from the faceoff dot beat Grubauer at 16:30. Logan Stankoven received the secondary assist on the play.

After a scoreless second period, the Stars nearly extended their lead when Tyler Seguin was sent in on a breakaway just over seven minutes into the third. Seguin went to his backhand, with Grubauer making a blocker save. Grubauer also stopped a breakaway by Mason Marchment with just under six minutes left.

Seattle’s best scoring chance came while on a power play just past the midpoint of the third, when Jared McCann got the puck just outside the left post, but he pulled his shot wide.

Grubauer finished with 21 saves.

–Field Level Media