SEATTLE — The Western Conference chess board was given a good shake Thursday night, but the pieces wound up back in the same places.
The Vegas Golden Knights sent Seattle off to its first NHL postseason with two consecutive defeats to ponder, including Thursday night’s 3-1 decision at Climate Pledge Arena. The Kraken had won five straight games before the home-and-home with Vegas, which clinched first in the Pacific Division.
The hierarchy in the Eastern Conference is set, but the order in the West – and the Kraken’s first-round opponent – will come down to the final game of the regular season. The Colorado Avalanche will face the Nashville Predators on Friday, and a Colorado victory would allow the Avalanche to overtake the Dallas Stars. The Avalanche would win the Central Division and face the Kraken next week.
