DALLAS — In an impressive performance, the Dallas Stars secured a 2-0 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday night, thanks in part to goals from Sam Steel and Wyatt Johnston scored just 14 seconds apart in the first period. Making his debut for Dallas, goalie Casey DeSmith showcased his skills by stopping 25 shots, achieving his 11th career shutout.

This win marks the second consecutive shutout for the Stars, as their starting goalie Jake Oettinger had already blanked the New York Islanders the night before. Steel opened the scoring with a clever redirect of a pass from Colin Blackwell that found the back of the net with 3:43 left in the opening period. Just moments later, Johnston, who was set up by a drop pass from team captain Jamie Benn, added to the score with a wrist shot that beat Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer on the stick side.

Grubauer ended the night with 24 saves, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the shutout. Johnston, who led the team in scoring last season with 32 goals, continues his productive start, registering points in all three games played thus far. Notably, the Stars had also accomplished back-to-back shutouts late in the previous season, with victories of 3-0 and 5-0 against Seattle and Edmonton, respectively.

For the Kraken, this marked their first shutout loss under new head coach Dan Bylsma, adding to the struggles they faced last season when they were blanked seven times and finished second to last in overall goals scored. The Stars, on the other hand, are off to a strong start this season, especially with a demanding schedule that sees them play nine games in the first 17 days of November due to an upcoming trip to Finland. Dallas is counting on DeSmith to make an impactful contribution early on.

A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Johnston won a crucial faceoff shortly after Steel’s opening goal, which quickly led to an increase in Dallas’s lead. The Stars also effectively managed to kill all four penalties, allowing only two shots on goal and boasting an impressive penalty-kill rate of 10 for 11 so far this season.

Looking ahead, the Kraken are set to complete a three-game road trip against Central Division rivals, with their next matchup against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Stars will conclude a three-game homestand with a game against the San Jose Sharks.