More of the same. The Kraken failed to generate offense and fell 3-1 in Las Vegas to the Golden Knights. It was a big win for the home team, bolstering Vegas’s 2nd wild card position and giving them a four point cushion over the St. Louis Blues.
Seattle fell to .500 on the season, 28-28-and-12.
1st Period
Philipp Grubauer and Logan Thompson were the starting netminders.
The Kraken were feisty, leading the Golden Knights in hits by a wide margin in the period, but as is often the case, Seattle found itself trailing early in a hockey game.
Vegas hopped on the board at the 8:14 mark when Jack Eichel headed to the net and found a loose puck that Jonathan Marchessault had slid in front from below the goal line.
Shots-on-goal were 5-4 Vegas at the time. They would end up 13-7 in favor of the home team after 20 minutes.
The Knights failed to capitalize on the lone power play of the period.
2nd Period
Vegas was the better team early in the 2nd period. They ramped up the pressure with a playoff spot on the line. The Kraken returned the surge about five or six minutes in.
Play was relatively wide open. Just after the midway point the Kraken picked up their first power play of the game when Marchessault went off for interfering with Yanni Gourde. The Seattle power play didn’t click and with 19-seconds remaining in it, Gourde also went off for interference.
The Golden Knights failed on their abbreviated man advantage.
Just after the teams got back to 5-on-5, Thompson took a Jared McCann shot directly off the forehead of his mask and he stayed down for a bit. He remained in the game after getting some attention.
Off a scramble, Seattle rookie D-man Ryker Evans was found guilty of delay-of-game after he chipped a puck over the glass in the defensive zone. The penalty occurred at 17:08.
The Golden Knights power play put on plenty of pressure but couldn’t find the net. The penalty kill successful, the Kraken headed to the 3rd period down 1-0.
3rd Period
Nicolas Roy held Matty Beniers and the Kraken picked up a power play chance at 3:31. Seattle didn’t generate much. Thompson wasn’t having an overly taxing night.
At 6:45 a very rare penalty was called against Seattle. Jared McCann went to the penalty box for a face-off violation by playing the puck with his hand.
The Kraken killed it off. Vegas put on a heap of pressure after the penalty expired but Seattle survived.
That said, at the midway point of the period the home team had outshot the visitors 8-1. The Golden Knights continued to put pressure on looking for an insurance goal.
Tye Kartye broke loose on a rush and had one of Seattle’s best chances when he ripped a shot wide with nine minutes remaining in regulation.
The Kraken went to the power play at 12:02 when recent Vegas blueline acquisition Noah Hanifin went to the box for high sticking Jordan Eberle. After Thompson stopped McCann, Evans fired a puck from the point that Jaden Schwartz tipped home. Tie game.
It was Schwartz’s first game since March 8th — he missed four with an upper body injury — and his first goal since February 19th.
With just under five minutes to play, Seattle’s Eeli Tolvanen hit the post through a screen from the high slot.
At the other end, with just 80-seconds remaining, Vegas would re-take the lead. Brett Howden took the puck hard to the net, charging in from the left wing circle. The puck slipped off his stick, and Keegan Kolesar was there to chip it past Grubauer.
Seattle challenged for offside, but the goal was upheld. Seattle went shorthanded for the failed challenge.
Chandler Stephenson added an empty netter.
Shots on goal ended up 37-22 in favor of the Golden Knights. Power plays: Seattle 1-for-3, Vegas 1-for-5.
