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Reilly Smith scores twice as Golden Knights beat Seattle Kraken 4-1

By The Associated Press
Published  April 15, 2026 9:48pm PDT
Seattle Kraken
Associated Press
article

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 15: Carter Hart #79 of the Vegas Golden Knights makes a save against Ryan Winterton #26 of the Seattle Kraken during the first period at T-Mobile Arena on April 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Zak Krill / NHLI / Getty Images)

The Brief

    • The Golden Knights had four unanswered goals scored by Shea Theodore, Mitch Marner, and a pair of Reilly Smith in a 4-1 victory over the Kraken on Wednesday night to clinch the Pacific Division title.
    • Shane Wright scored the lone goal for Seattle 2:24 into the game to give the Kraken a lead that wouldn't hold.
    • Nikke Kokko made 22 saves on 26 shots in his third NHL start for Seattle. Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer are out with injuries, and third goaltender Matt Murray is away because of a personal issue.

LAS VEGAS - Mitch Marner broke a third-period tie and the Vegas Golden Knights won the Pacific Division for the fifth time in their nine-year history, beating the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Wednesday night to close the regular season.

Two points ahead of Edmonton entering the night, Vegas needed only a point to win the Pacific and set up a first-round series against Utah. Edmonton will finish play Thursday night at home against Vancouver.

Reilly Smith had two late goals, Shea Theodore also scored and Carter Hart made 22 saves to help Vegas win its third straight. The Golden Knights finished 39-26-17, going 7-0-1 since John Tortorella took over as coach for the fired Bruce Cassidy.

Shane Wright scored for Seattle, and Nikke Kokko stopped 22 shots. The Kraken have lost two straight to fall to 34-36-11 with a game left Thursday night at Colorado.

Marner gave Vegas a 2-1 lead at 1:23 of the third. Off a faceoff, defenseman Brayden McNabb took a long, straightaway shot that Marner tipped in for his 24th goal of the season.

Theodore tied it with 2:25 left in the second. The defenseman got the puck at the right point off a faceoff, moved to the top of the circle and fired a wrist shot past Kokko's glove.

Wright opened the scoring at 2:24 of the second after missing the previous eight games because of an upper-body injury.

Golden Knights captain Mark Stone played his 400th game for the franchise.

Up next

Kraken: At Colorado on Thursday night.

Golden Knights: Host Utah in the first round of the playoffs.

The Source: Information in this story came from The Associated Press.

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