Shock, Sadness As Vegas Deals Kraken Most Painful Loss Of Season

This one hurt. A lot.

All the proof needed was the shattered shards of Oliver Bjorkstrand's stick on the Climate Pledge Arena ice Tuesday.

Moments before, Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights sealed the Seattle Kraken's fate with a breakaway goal in overtime. Bjorkstrand, who'd made a valiant but futile attempt to impede Eichel's path, slammed his stick with all his might against the side boards.

Earlier, that stick performed a more dignified purpose. Bjorkstrand converted his own breakaway, dipping a shoulder to ward off a defender and scoring to give the Kraken a 4-2 lead.

The All-Star's tally culminated a magical 10 minute stretch of the 3rd period. The Kraken had the defending Stanley Cup champions on the ropes and glassy-eyed.

A Matty Beniers uppercut stung the champs, tying the game 2-2. A Brandon Tanev body shot put the Kraken in front. Then Bjorkstrand, with what certainly seemed the knockout blow.

Seattle accomplished what had eluded them all season - scoring in bunches. With less than nine minutes to go, all that remained was preserving that lead.

Flights of fancy danced in the hearts of Kraken fans. Win in regulation, and their heroes close within six points of Vegas. The Golden Knights have been stumbling, and seeds of doubt are surely sprouting. Plus, the Kraken play them once more this season.

We could still steal their wild card spot!

Armed with a two-goal cushion, why not entertain such thoughts? Since mid-December, Seattle's defense was 4th-stingiest in the entire league. Since returning from injury, goalie Philipp Grubauer had been his playoff best. Why, in his last seven appearances, Grubauer was 5-1-0, Only once had he allowed as many as three goals.

Until Tuesday night's 5-4 defeat.

Although the time of playoff death was 3:01 of overtime, the cause of death was a recurring, persistent Kraken vice this season - inability to hold a 3rd period lead, often a multiple-goal lead.

William Karlsson halved the Seattle advantage at 12:23. With their goalie pulled for a sixth attacker in the final minute, Vegas' Chandler Stephenson made an unreal play. I've watched the pass repeatedly on replay and still can't figure out how Stephenson did it.

From the point, Eichel sends a pass to Stephenson, his back to the goal in the right wing circle. Without looking and in one motion, Stephenson somehow redirects the puck almost 90 degrees, cross-ice, and perfectly on the tape of Jonathan Marchessault.

Marchessault isn't just open in the left circle - he's lonely . All six Kraken and four Golden Knights are on the opposite side of the zone. Grubauer has no chance as the Vegas winger blasts home the tying goal with 16.3 seconds left.

Failing to secure a regulation win dealt a pair of mortal blows. Seattle, eight points behind Vegas for the final wild card at puck drop, needed to deny the Golden Knights the OT point. The Kraken also wouldn't be able to add to their regulation win total, the first wild card tiebreaker.

Then Eichel plunged in the dagger. One revision: this one didn't "hurt," it was fatal.

Mathematically, the Kraken haven't been eliminated. For practical purposes. all that's left is the autopsy.