LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — The Seattle Kraken built an early lead and held on to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. Jared McCann and Eeli Tolvanen scored in the first period to give Seattle a two-goal edge. Vegas answered in the second with goals from Ivan Barbashev and Mitchell Marner, who both converted setups from Jack Eichel. Kaapo Kakko netted the decisive backhand goal for the Kraken midway through the third period before an announced crowd of 18,141. Seattle goaltender Joey Daccord earned the win with 27 saves. The Kraken improved to 26-28, while the Golden Knights fell to 25-29.

LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — The Seattle Kraken built an early two-goal lead and weathered a furious push from the Vegas Golden Knights to secure a 3-2 victory in a tightly contested NHL matchup Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. A crowd of 18,141 watched as the Kraken, propelled by a pair of first-period goals and a 27-save performance from goaltender Joey Daccord, snapped a brief two-game slide for Vegas and continued their own recent surge, winning for the third time in four outings. Seattle set the tone early, capitalizing on a Vegas penalty to open the scoring. With the Golden Knights serving a too-many-men bench minor, the Kraken’s power play went to work. After sustained pressure, Jared McCann fired a wrist shot from the slot past Vegas netminder Akira Schmid at 13:04 of the opening period. Vince Dunn and Chandler Stephenson picked up the assists. The Kraken doubled their lead just over six minutes later. After a Ryan Winterton shot was turned aside by Schmid, Eeli Tolvanen pounced on the rebound and buried a wrist shot at the 6:50 mark. Winterton and Stephenson, who notched two assists in the game, were credited with the helpers. Vegas, which had been outshot and outplayed for much of the first, found its footing in the second period. The Golden Knights began to tilt the ice, testing Daccord repeatedly. Their persistence paid off at 16:52 when Ivan Barbashev finished a play in close, converting a feed from Jack Eichel to cut the deficit to 2-1. Ben Hutton had the secondary assist. The Golden Knights’ momentum continued on a late-period power play. With Seattle’s Vince Dunn in the box for hooking, Vegas’s top unit connected. Eichel, from the right circle, found Mitch Marner streaking toward the back post, and Marner tapped the puck past Daccord with just 1:12 remaining in the second frame. Tomas Hertl also assisted on the tying goal, sending the teams to the second intermission knotted at 2-2. The third period evolved into a tense, defensive struggle with both teams limiting high-danger chances. The game-winner came off the stick of an unlikely source at the 9:18 mark. Defenseman Adam Larsson’s wrist shot from the point was redirected in front by Kaapo Kakko, whose deft backhand touch eluded Schmid for his sixth goal of the season. Vegas pressed desperately in the final minutes, pulling Schmid for an extra attacker with over two minutes to play. The Golden Knights generated several scrambles and a flurry of shots, but Daccord and the Seattle defense held firm. The Kraken goalie made a critical save on a Jack Eichel wrist shot in the dying seconds to preserve the victory. Daccord, a native of Boston, earned the win with his 27 saves, several of the spectacular variety during Vegas’s second-period onslaught. Schmid, making his seventh consecutive start for Vegas, stopped 20 of 23 shots in the losing effort. Eichel was a central figure for the Golden Knights, registering two assists, five shots on goal, and two hits. Barbashev finished with a goal and three hits, while Marner’s power-play marker was his 14th of the season. For Seattle, Stephenson’s two-assist night facilitated the offense, while McCann and Tolvanen provided the early scoring punch. The Kraken’s penalty kill was perfect, snuffing out both Vegas power-play opportunities. The loss dropped Vegas to 25-29 on the season, while Seattle improved to 26-28. The result defied the pregame projections, as statistical models and betting markets had favored the Golden Knights. The combined five goals fell under the posted over/under line of 6.5. The Golden Knights will look to rebound quickly as they travel to face the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. The Kraken continue their road trip with a back-to-back set in California, visiting Anaheim on Tuesday and the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday.

SEATTLE (24-28) AT VEGAS (25-27) Preview LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — Two Pacific Division teams on the fringe of the Western Conference playoff picture will clash when the Seattle Kraken visit the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. Both clubs enter with nearly identical records and recent stretches of inconsistent play. The Kraken (24-28) have alternated wins and losses over their last six games, coming off a decisive 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. The Golden Knights (25-27) have lost three of their last four, including a 3-2 overtime defeat in Montreal on Tuesday. The matchup features two of the league’s hottest offensive players. Seattle’s Jared McCann is riding a five-game point streak (4 goals, 4 assists) and is fresh off a four-point night (2 goals, 2 assists) against Washington. His 10 points in his last 10 games pace the Kraken attack. For Vegas, Pavel Dorofeyev has been a bright spot amid the team’s struggles. The winger has seven goals in his last seven games, including a two-goal, eight-shot effort in the loss to Montreal. He has recorded a point in eight of his last 10 contests. The season series stands at 1-0 in favor of Seattle after a 2-1 overtime Kraken win in Seattle on Oct. 11. Seattle’s recent success has been fueled by its top line, with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle joining McCann in multi-point performances against Washington. Vegas will look to rebound from a disheartening 7-1 loss in Ottawa last Sunday, though they showed resilience to earn a point in Montreal two nights later. With both teams sitting several points out of a wild-card spot, the game carries significant weight for their fading postseason hopes. A regulation win for either club would provide a crucial two-point swing against a direct competitor. The Kraken begin a three-game road trip with this contest, while the Golden Knights play their final home game before a brief two-game trip to California.