Kraken fans, did you expect anything besides a seven-game series ...

About 15 years ago, when Tiger Woods was at the peak of his powers, he drilled a 15-foot putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff at the U.S. Open. 

On the call that day was Dan Hicks, who said what everybody watching that moment was thinking: “Expect anything different?!” 

That line came to mind at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday afternoon, when the Kraken beat the Stars 6-3 to tie the series at 3-3.

Seriously, after watching these guys throughout the playoffs — did you expect anything different?

As was stated in this space six days earlier, the Kraken stopped being an underdog long ago. They didn’t squeak by the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche in the first round thanks to a break here and a bounce there. They outplayed the ostensible juggernaut for most of the series and closed it out sans their leading scorer, Jared McCann. 

And their two previous wins vs. Dallas this round didn’t come due to injuries to the Stars’ stars or a late score touched by the hand of God. They came as the Kraken posted a combined 12 goals — five in Game 1 and seven in Game 3 — with one of the top goalies in the league starting each game. 

NHL playoffs Kraken vs. Dallas Stars

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Proof they could hang with the best was firmly established. As was their role as the new NHL darling as an expansion team bulldozing its way through the postseason. 

So to fade quietly on their home ice when facing a three-games-to-two deficit? It was never going to happen. 

Instead, the Kraken again tormented Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger, scoring their first goal nine minutes into the game and three more within the next 16 minutes. The goals were aesthetic as they were athletic, too. A wrist shot from Yanni Gourde to start, then a Jordan Eberle backhand on a power play later in the first.

A coach’s dream of a sequence followed early in the second frame, when Oliver Bjorkstrand fed December waiver-wire pickup Eeli Tolvanen, who slipped it by Oettinger with a snapshot. And when Ty Kartye scored four minutes and 37 seconds into the same period to put Seattle up 4-1, Oettinger was pulled for the second time in the series.

It was dominance on display — and another act of defiance to anyone who figured Seattle’s losses in Games 4 and 5 served as a prelude to their elimination.

So what happened Saturday, exactly? Was this a game plan sublimely executed? Or desperation taking over the team?

“A little bit of both,” Gourde said. “Game plan, desperation — when you’re facing elimination I think you need a little bit of both.”

It’s not as if the Stars didn’t provide scares. They answered the Kraken’s initial goal by scoring 31 seconds later. Seattle’s 4-1 lead became a 4-2 lead a minute and 14 seconds later, and its 5-2 lead established in the third became a 5-3 lead in just 15 seconds.

The bounce-back goals were prevalent, but there was no way the Kraken were getting bounced.

Seattle coach Dave Hakstol noticed an air about his team well before the puck was dropped Saturday. There wasn’t fear among his players, only focus.

“We knew what was on the line,” said Hakstol, whose team made it 6-3 when Eberle scored on an empty net in the final minute. “As a staff, we didn’t have to say a whole lot.” 

A few weeks ago the Kraken die-hards would have viewed a game such as Saturday’s as pure gravy. They would have assumed that even a blowout loss at this point would fail to upset them amid this unexpected run.

But the Kraken have played too well and proven too much during this postseason foray. These extra games don’t feel like bonuses anymore.

This is one of the NHL’s deepest teams going blow for blow with the league’s top teams as a collective. Six days after having seven players score to win Game 3, the Kraken had five scorers before Eberle’s empty netter.

Again — expect anything different?

“We stayed on our toes and played aggressive,” Eberle said. “You don’t want to come in situations, and go into the summer wondering, ‘Why?’ “

No, they didn’t want to be wondering why. And when it comes to winning their second Game 7 in as many rounds — they’ve gotta be thinking, “Why not?”