Golden Knights edged by Kraken in shootout, lose first game under new coach Tortorella

SEATTLE -- The Vegas Golden Knights blew a two-goal, third-period lead and had their four-game winning streak under new coach John Tortorella end with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday.

Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy as head coach on March 29.

“We score one early in the (third) period to go up by two. We’re looking to try to take the will away from them, they get a bounce,” Tortorella said. "It gives them some life, so nothing we can do. We’ll take the point and get out of here.” 

Mark Stone had two goals, and Brett Howden scored for the Golden Knights (36-26-17), who are 4-0-3 in their past seven. Adin Hill made 30 saves.

Vegas is second in the Pacific Division, but is tied in points with the third-place Anaheim Ducks and one point behind the first-place Edmonton Oilers. Each team has three games remaining.

“Hill made some massive saves there, obviously, to keep that game (alive in overtime) to go to a shootout,” Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner said. “Their goalie made good saves as well. We had good opportunities, we just didn’t capitalize.”

Berkly Catton scored and had the deciding goal in the shootout, and Jared McCann and Bobby McMann also scored for the Kraken (33-34-11), who had lost six straight (0-5-1) and 10 of 11 (1-8-2). Vince Dunn had two assists, and Joey Daccord made 31 saves.

Seattle is eight points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.

Catton deked hard to his left, and chipped the puck over a sprawling Hill before Daccord stopped Pavel Dorofeyev to secure the win. Matty Beniers also scored in the shootout.

“I remember talking to (Frederick Gaudreau), and he's kind of like, 'Just feel the puck out at the start, and I think that'll give you a little bit of confidence when you come in,'” Catton said. “So I tried that out, and it actually felt pretty good when I came in. And then I just tried to shoulder fake a couple times and see if he'd bite and got it up.”

Stone gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead at 10:04 of the first period, gathering a pass from Rasmus Andersson in the slot and lifting a wrist shot past Daccord's glove for his 25th of the season.

Stone scored again on a power play just 55 seconds into the second period, backhanding a loose puck in the crease at the right post.

“For the most part of the game, I liked our intentions and the way we were trying to play,” Howden said. “And we got a point, which is huge.”

McCann cut the deficit to 2-1 with a power-play goal at 17:54. Dunn fed a pass to McCann at the top of the right face-off circle, where his one-timer went in off the right post for his 20th of the season.

“I was talking to (assistant coach Chris Taylor) a lot about passing up good shots, and I feel like I can beat goalies clean sometimes,” McCann said. “And I was able to there.” 

Howden made it 3-1 at 1:11 of the third period. Marner’s cross-slot pass tipped off Dorofeyev’s stick and then bounced off Howden’s skate and into an open net.

“Pucks have been going in a little bit lately,” Howden said. “Just trying to, I give cliche answers, but I just try to bring the same gave every night. I try to play an honest game, try to go to the hard areas, go to the net, and especially playing with Mitch, he can see you from anywhere.” 

Catton cut the deficit to 3-2 at 6:11 when Adam Larsson’s dump-in attempt hit a stanchion in the right corner and bounced into the slot. Hill had left the crease to stop the puck behind the net, leaving an open net for Catton.

“I don’t know how it ended up on my stick, really,” Catton said of his goal, which came after an unusual bounce off the glass. “So I was kind of surprised, I guess. And then relieved a bit that it went in, too. 

“It’s crazy how that works. I’ve had a lot of good looks that haven't gone in, and then I get a really good bounce with an open net. So that one definitely felt good."

McMann tied the game 3-3 at 9:16, snapping a shot from the right circle through a screen over Hill's right shoulder to the far side.

“We were talking about it all game, that that spot of the ice was open, and we were trying to find it and know that that look is there,” McMann said. “So I was like, ‘I'm just going to be dot lane,’ so I think (Jordan Eberle’s) first look was right there. I was in that spot, and he obviously won that battle on the wall, great play by him.”

Tortorella said: “Give them credit, they surge at certain times, and they’re a fast team, so I’m not going to overdissect it. It’s not the time of year to be overdissecting. We’ll grab this point and get on the plane and get up to Colorado.” 

NOTES: McMann scored his ninth goal with the Kraken, which marks the most among players moved on NHL Trade Deadline day this season. ... Seattle defenseman Ryan Lindgren and forward Eeli Tolvanen were both healthy scratches for the first time this season. ... Stone recorded his 19th career multigoal game with Vegas to tie Max Pacioretty for third place on the franchise’s all-time list.