The Kraken stole one. They lost the expected-goals battle 2.99–4.61 and won anyway.
The Kings controlled 61% of expected goals and still lost 3-2. That is theft, and J. Daccord was the thief.
Seattle's goaltender stopped 2.61 goals above expected, posting a 0.946 save percentage on 35 shots. He was perfect on high-danger chances, stopping all eight. Meanwhile, Los Angeles managed zero goals on eight high-danger attempts — they had the looks, and Daccord denied them.
The Kings dominated by every volume measure. They took 37 shot attempts to Seattle's 28. They generated 4.61 expected goals to the Kraken's 2.99. They won the high-danger-chance battle 8-4. And they still lost, because variance cut them both ways: their own goaltending faltered (0.893 SV%), while Seattle's was transcendent.
The Kraken were clinical where it mattered. Seattle finished 3-for-24 on rush chances; Los Angeles was 2-for-30. E. Tolvanen recorded two assists in 19:33. D. Doughty had one in 24:27, and B. Clarke one in 21:14, but secondary scoring couldn't overcome Daccord's wall.
Andrei Kuzmenko's wraparound from the doorstep in the third period (08:45) was the game's pivot. It gave Seattle a lead they would not relinquish despite Los Angeles' sustained pressure. The Kings crashed the net for three rebound opportunities and converted zero — they came close to stealing back this theft, but late chances went begging.
P. Copley stopped 25 of 28 for Los Angeles. The math was simple: xG and volume meant nothing against elite goaltending and Seattle's ruthless finish on the rush.
