Raucous first period of Kraken’s Game 1 win over Stars was one for the NHL history book

DALLAS – First, a bit of individual history.

Yanni Gourde’s first career overtime playoff goal salvaged Game 1 for a Kraken team that almost let it slip away.

“It’s huge. That’s how you want to start a series,” Gourde said.

It took all four Kraken lines to build a lead Dallas Stars veteran Joe Pavelski undid himself. Each of Seattle’s lines was on the ice for a first-period goal, which gave it enough cushion to make it to the third period and moved around some entries in the NHL playoff record book.

A dog-eared copy of that text came out Tuesday night. Here’s one of the new additions: Courtesy of Justin Schultz, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jordan Eberle, the Kraken’s three goals in a span of 52 seconds were the sixth-fastest three goals by one team in Stanley Cup playoff history.

As far as combined totals, it was the sixth instance in which teams combined for six or more goals in the first period of a series-opening game. It had been quite a while since that happened – each of the other five instances happened between 1980 and 1991.

One last niche corner of history – five combined goals in 3:55 was the fifth-fastest time elapsed in playoff history. The Minnesota North Stars and Chicago Blackhawks did it best, in 3:06 in 1985.

And now to speak ill of the dead. In the first period alone, the Kraken managed one more goal than the Minnesota Wild scored in the past three games of their first-round series against the Stars this season.

“That’s not a typical first period in playoff hockey, but sometimes you get those,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “There’s a lot going on there. Obviously, on the defensive side, our play without the puck … we’ve got to clean some things up. What I like is that we were able to push back right away.”

A more fragile team might have become discouraged after Pavelski, 38, scored a pair of emotional goals early in the game. Pavelski was placed in concussion protocol following a hit from Wild defenseman Matt Dumba in the Stars’ postseason opener. He was sidelined the rest of the first-round series.

Pavelski’s first came just 2:25 into the game. The second canceled out Jaden Schwartz’s tying wrist shot 53 seconds after it happened. But the Kraken are working on mastering the short memory.

“Just focused on the next shift and not listening to any media or anyone telling us what we can and can’t do,” Schultz said. “We just go out and play and have fun. It’s working for us now. Just gotta keep it going.”

Conventional playoff wisdom says the team that played most recently gets out to a fiery start, then fades. The Kraken, who played two nights before, lobbed shots at rested Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger well into the third period.

Hakstol referenced “heavy legs” as the third wore on. Schultz wouldn’t cop to it.

“I think we’ve got young enough legs that we don’t really feel it,” Schultz said.

But the third period was when Pavelski got hungry again, and the Kraken couldn’t hold him back. He became the oldest player in NHL history with four goals in a playoff game. Maurice “Rocket” Richard previously held the record, set in Game 1 of the 1957 Stanley Cup Final when he was 35 years old. He also matched the franchise record for goals in a playoff game. That mark was only three years old.

One last record – teams that take a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven series on the road hold a record of 158-122 (.564). Seattle is the only one that’s done it this spring.

Gourde – who leads the Kraken in playoff points (one goal, five assists) – kicked the puck to his stick, banked it off a foot, spun and fired to end Game 1, 12:17 into overtime. Make that 5-4, final.

“I loved our response. I loved our composure, I loved our poise,” Gourde said. “We’re a pretty mature group in there. We trusted that the process was going to get it done – keep working, keep at it and eventually we can get our break.”

Kraken rookie Beniers named Calder Trophy finalist

Kraken rookie Matty Beniers on Wednesday was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy, awarded annually “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition.”

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power and Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner are the other finalists.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submit their top-five choices at the conclusion of the regular season.

Beniers, 20, totaled 24 goals and 33 assists centering one of the Kraken’s top-two lines. He led all rookies in goals and points nearly all season.

“He has a natural presence and a confidence that doesn’t come with any arrogance,” Hakstol said recently.

“There are challenges he’s dealt with, he’s run up against some bumps in the road, but he’s handled them all really well.”

To be eligible for the Calder Memorial Trophy, a player can’t have played 25 games in any single season. They also can’t have appeared in six or more games in each of any two preceding seasons in any major professional league. Since 1990-91, there’s an additional stipulation that a player must not have turned 26 by Sept. 15 of that season.

Beniers appeared in 10 games at the end of the 2021-22 season after turning pro following two years at Michigan.

Even though Skinner, 24, has appeared in three Oilers seasons, his one appearance in 2020-21 kept him eligible.