Heartbreak Hotel For Kraken, Beaten In OT By Golden Knights Rally, 5-4

4,905 days ago, Edmonton Oilers 1st round draft pick Jordan Eberle stepped onto the ice for the first time in an NHL game.

14 seasons later - seven in Edmonton, four with the N.Y. Islanders,the last three in Seattle - Eberle at puck drop officially participated in his 1,000th NHL contest.

After that, the matter at hand for the Kraken, Vegas Golden Knights, and everyone else inside Climate Pledge Arena was a crucial two points in the Western Conference wild card race.

3rd period goals by Matty Beniers, Brandon Tanev and Oliver Bjorkstrand lifted Seattle to a 4-2 lead with 8:30 left. But the Kraken defense, so stout since mid-December, couldn't hang on.

William Karlsson tied the game in the final minute and Jack Eichel's breakaway won it for Vegas in overtime, 5-4.

The OT loss pushes the Kraken nine points behind Vegas for the final playoff spot, virtually eliminating Seattle from contention.

1st Period

Injuries have reduced the Kraken ranks by two: defenseman Vince Dunn and forward Jaden Schwartz.

One penalty each way in the early going. The Kraken got one shot and no goal on their PP; the Golden Knights got two shots and no goal on theirs.

On a second Kraken power play, the preferred shooting location is the right circle dot. Eeli Tolvanen and Matty Beniers each have sizzlers saved by Vegas netminder Adin Hill, then Andre Burakovsky fires wide.

Brandon Tanev loses a skate blade, but makes it back to his bench without incident.

Tatar feeds Beniers at the lip of the crease for a redirect, but the period's best scoring chance is rejected by Hill. At the other end, Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer swallows new Golden Knight Noah Hanafin's drive down the slot.

Shot attempts in a scoreless first period favor Seattle, 26-12. SOGs are 9-7 the Kraken.

2nd Period

The Kraken have one goal in their last seven periods at home. The number of offensive droughts Seattle can afford the rest of the season is zero.

Tye Kartye and Jamie Oleksiak do their best with first-minute missles, both gloved by Hill.

The territorial advantage built by the Kraken becomes dominance. Eventually, Vegas breaks. Jared McCann sends a no-look backhand pass from right hashmark to left, where Andre Burakovsky buries the puck past a dizzy Golden Knights defense.

Burakovsky's 3rd gives Seattle a 1-0 lead at 4:14.

Kraken fans are barely back in their seats when Brian Dumoulin takes a holding penalty.

William Karlsson snaps a high danger chance down the slot fought off by Grubauer's blocker. But Jonathan Marchessault's shot from the bottom edge of the left wing circle isn't stoppable. The PP goal, Marchessault's 36th, ties the game 1-1 at 6:36.

Over the last two months, only Auston Matthews and Kirill Kaprizov have scored more goals than Marchessault. Since Seattle still has the 5-on-5 territorial edge, it's heartily advised that they keep five skaters on ice at all times.

Vegas' Keegan Kolesar pings the post.

Incredible skill gives Vegas its first lead. A faceoff squirts to Pavel Dorofeyev, who in one motion smashes the puck out of the air and past Grubauer. 2-1 Golden Knights at 15:00.

For those of you wondering, Pavel who? Left wing Pavel Igorevich Dorofeyev was a 3rd round draft choice of the Golden Knights in 2019, playing his 51st NHL game.

On a delayed Kraken penalty to Ryker Evans, Grubauer comes up with a 10-bell save. Michael Amadio is so sure he's given Vegas a two goal lead, that when Grubauer's glove stones him, Adadio first looks skyward, then covers his mouth (no doubt to muffle the expletives.)

Seattle, outshot 16-13 in the period and 23-22 through 40, go into the intermission down by a goal.

3rd Period

Must-have blocks by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Tanev kill off the rest of the Vegas carryover power play.

Seattle's Beniers shows he can knock pucks out of mid-air for fun and profit, too. Beniers alters the trajectory of Will Borgen's right point wrister enough to fool Hill. His 9th goal ties the game 2-2 at 1:55.

Who had Kailer Yamamoto, Tanev and Bellemare combining to give Seattle a 3-2 lead? Tanev drives the net to provide a screen. Yamamato feeds Bellmare, recently back from a broken leg. Tanev tips in his shot to return the advantage to the Kraken at 5:21.

Bellemare was once a Golden Knight, by the way.

Oliver Bjorkstrand, his 17th on a breakaway, extends the Kraken lead to 4-2 at 11:30. Watch how the All-Star dips a shoulder to ward off Vegas defender Alex Pietrangelo.

Though Vegas has stumbled the last few weeks, they're still the defending Stanley Cup champs. Karlsson reminds Seattle of that, drawing the visitors back within 4-3 at 12:23.

With their goalie pulled, Vegas uses more incredible hands to tie the game in the final 17 seconds. Chandler Stephenson deftly sends a pass cross-ice to a wide-open Marchessault for his 2nd of the night, 37th on the season, and a 4-4 tie.

Overtime

Jack Eichel blows past the Seattle defense, but Grubauer closes the five-hole on Eichel's backhand just in time.

Hill foils Burakovsky's grade-A chance.

Pietrangelo raises his stick in celebration, but his shot on a 2-on-1 hit the post.

The Kraken race back on a 3-on-1, but can't convert as Adam Larsson's pass to Burakovsky is broken up at the goal mouth.

This leaves Seattle caught up ice. Eichel takes advantage to win the game for Vegas, 5-4, on a breakaway, his 200th NHL goal.