Knights edge Kraken, close in on Pacific Division title

Adin Hill made 24 saves to notch his 31st win of the season and the Vegas Golden Knights took another step closer to a Pacific Division title with a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

Ivan Barbashev and William Karlsson scored for Vegas (48-22-9, 105 points), which maintained a six-point lead over the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division.

The Golden Knights can clinch their fourth division title in eight seasons with a regulation win over the visiting Nashville Predators on Saturday night or a regulation loss by the Kings to the visiting Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon.

Jared McCann scored and Joey Daccord finished with 23 saves for Seattle (34-40-6, 74 points), which lost its second straight game to finish 3-2 on its five-game road trip.

Vegas took a 1-0 lead at the 6:58 mark of the first period when Barbashev scooped up a loose puck by the edge of the left circle and snapped a wrist shot past Daccord's blocker side.

The Golden Knights increased the lead to 2-0 eight minutes into the second period when Reilly Smith hit Karlsson with a drop pass in the left circle and Karlsson then ripped a wrist shot over Daccord's left shoulder.

Seattle cut the lead to 2-1 late in the second period when McCann, stationed by the right post, slid in a rebound of a Jordan Eberle shot that caromed across the crease off the left post.

The Kraken pulled Daccord for an extra attacker with 1:57 remaining and had a chance to tie it with 19 seconds left but defenseman Brayden McNabb made a diving save to turn away Brandon Montour's jam try by the right post to seal the victory.

Vegas played its second straight game without leading scorer Jack Eichel, who is sidelined with an upper-body injury.

--Field Level Media