3 picks from the Kraken’s 2-1 OT winner over the Golden Knights – The Hockey Writers Seattle Kraken Latest news, analysis and more

On Saturday, October 11, the Seattle Kraken hosted the Vegas Golden Knights. The two teams have built a tough rivalry as the two newest teams in the league; this is the eighth season of Vegas and the fifth season of Seattle. Playing in the same conference will do that to them too.

Of all their matchups, the Kraken have typically lost to Vegas. Perhaps the 2025-2026 season will be a turning point, however, as the Kraken won 2-1 in extra time. Their record against Vegas is now at 4-11-1.

Beniers started scoring for Seattle

Early in the second period, Vegas took a stand in the penalty area for interference. The Kraken quickly took advantage of their extra-man advantage, with Matty Beniers skating the puck into Seattle’s offensive zone. He sent the puck to Jordan Eberle, who held it on the boards. The puck was sent over the boards in the scrum and Vince Dunn picked up the loose puck. Beniers positioned himself in front of the goal and Dunn passed the puck to him. His shot are found at home behind Adin Hill, and Seattle was the first of two teams to get on the board.

Beniers has had a great start to the season compared to last season. He has three points to his name in the first two games alone. On October 9, he recorded an assist, and he also recorded an assist on Jared McCann’s game-winning goal. Last season he recorded his first point after four games, and it took four more games before he recorded another point. During the 2024 offseason, Beniers signed a seven-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $7.14 million. After a lackluster start to the 2024/25 season, many fans complained, feeling he was not worth the extension. Although Seattle is only two games into the 2025-26 season, Beniers is already proving them wrong.

Dunn also had a two-point play

Although Beniers recorded a goal and an assist in this game, he was not the only player to register two points. As mentioned above, Vince Dunn recorded the primary assist on Beniers’ goal, but he also had the secondary assist on McCann’s game-winner. He had the puck at the blue line and passed it to Beniers. As he skated around looking for an opening, McCann stayed in position in front of the net. Beniers took the shot and the rebound landed right in front of McCann. He used his speed and quick thinking to get the puck and put the game away for Seattle.

Related: Kraken’s Jared McCann records 400th NHL point

Like McCann, Dunn is a staple of the Kraken franchise. He has played consistently on the first line of defense with Adam Larsson since the 2021-2022 season and has found his niche with the team. He also has three points to his name this season, having scored Seattle’s first goal of the season on October 9. His career total points are 64, recorded in the 2022-2023 season. Could Dunn top his career high in 2025-26?

Kraken kept pace with Vegas

The Golden Knights have typically defeated the Kraken in the history of their matchups. Seattle had the upper hand in this game. Neither team scored a goal in the first period. This may seem like a bad thing for Seattle, but it was actually beneficial. The two teams played clean hockey, without taking a penalty. The Kraken had just two more shots than the Knights, nine compared to Vegas’ seven.

Seattle used this strong first period to propel them the rest of the game. Seattle struck first on the power play in the second period. They used the momentum from their first goal to play a strong defensive game. Vegas also tied the game in the third on a power play goal, but once again Seattle held firm.

With the match going into extra time, it was truly a do-or-die scenario for both teams. But the Kraken stayed strong and eventually won the match. They had seven shots on net in the 4:56 overtime, compared to Vegas’ three. Beating a strong team like Vegas, and knowing that Seattle usually doesn’t play well against them, is a huge confidence boost to start the season.

Kraken Head on their first road trip

While Seattle had the opportunity to start their season on their home court, home field advantage is now coming to an end. The team embarks on their first road trip of the season, which will last six games. The first of these six games will be played in Montreal on Tuesday, October 14, when the Canadiens play their home opener.