Vegas built a lead worth winning and then gave it away one giveaway at a time β Seattle didn't outplay them, it simply stopped turning the puck over.
Vegas held a 2-1 lead with over two minutes left in the second period β by the final buzzer, that advantage had vanished in a third-period Seattle surge that required a shootout to settle. This Pacific Division clash at Climate Pledge Arena shows how a team can control a game's structure and still lose it at the margins.
β‘TURNING POINT
McCann's power-play goal at 17:54 of the second erased a two-goal deficit and sent both teams to the third period level β denying Vegas the psychological grip that a two-goal cushion into the final frame would have provided. Seattle converted its only man-advantage opportunity to keep the game within reach, and VGK never recovered the separation that had defined the first 40 minutes.
πWHY SEA WON
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Three different goal scorers in the third period and shootout meant Seattle's offense distributed pressure across multiple lines, preventing Vegas from keying on a single threat.
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Dunn's 2 assists and Larsson's 22:50 of defensive deployment gave Seattle the blue-line structure to sustain offensive zone pressure when it mattered most.
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Daccord conceded 0.40 goals below average on 34 shots β in a 4-3 overtime game, that margin preserved Seattle's path to the extra point.
πWHY VGK LOST
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Vegas surrendered three unanswered goals after leading 3-1 at 1:11 of the third, a collapse rooted in 18 giveaways β five more than Seattle β that repeatedly handed possession back in dangerous areas.
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Stone's two goals came from four shots on goal, but no other VGK skater generated consistent volume; McMann alone fired 8 shots for Seattle in 19:33, creating sustained pressure VGK couldn't match collectively.
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Hill conceded 0.30 goals below average on 33 shots, which helped but could not offset the structural breakdowns in front of him.
Three Stars
Berkly Catton1st
SEA, C
1G1 SO goalTOI 11:01
Catton delivered the shootout winner despite the lowest ice time among Seattle's key forwards, proving decisive at the single highest-leverage moment of the game.
Mark Stone2nd
VGK, R
2G4 SOG1 PPG
Stone's two-goal output was the entire engine of Vegas's offense β without him, VGK generates nothing.
Vince Dunn3rd
SEA, D
2A2 SOGTOI 22:50
Dunn's zone exits and passing created the sequences behind both of Seattle's regulation power-play and even-strength connections, anchoring the comeback structurally.
