The Seattle Kraken could have relented, but they refused.
The evening started very well. The Kraken played the perfect ‘road period’ against the Calgary Flames to start this game. They outplayed, outshot (10-7), out-chanced and outscored the home team in the first. 1-0 Kraken.
After monster D-men Nikita Zadorov of Calgary and Jamie Oleksiak of Seattle dropped the mitts and Flames behemoth Milan Lucic started running around hitting people late in the first period, Calgary started to come to life. That energy carried over into the second.
The Flames picked up goals 1:46 apart from Zadorov and Nazem Kadri as they continued to build momentum in the first half of the second period.
Yet despite that outburst, Seattle didn’t buckle. Although outshot 20-8, the Kraken hung in there and found the equalizer at 13:10 with Morgan Geekie’s third goal of the season.
Turning Point 1
Kadri said it best during a walk-off interview during the second intermission. “Win a period to win a game.” The Flames looked like they were on their way when the Kraken experienced a second costly lull.
Tyler Toffoli scoring from the slot directly off an offensive zone faceoff at the 1:34 mark of the third period was one thing, it was the goal by Trevor Lewis seventeen seconds later that was inexcusable. The Kraken had seemingly drifted into a sleep walk.
Turning Point 2
Seattle’s wake-up call came via two power play opportunities. Daniel Sprong would cash in on the second one, ripping home a shot into a gaping cage from the left wing circle on a dandy feed from Alex Wennberg at 8:31.
Special teams would play a part in the tying goal. This time, Seattle’s much maligned 30th-ranked NHL penalty kill would tally with Yanni Gourde working the magic. It was the Kraken’s first shorthanded goal of the season that didn’t involve an empty net.
Tied 4-4 the fun would continue. Exactly two minutes later, off a Calgary turnover at the Seattle blueline, rookie Matty Beniers would finish off a 2-on-1 rush with an assist to Jordan Eberle.
Winner winner, chicken dinner, the first ever victory in five tries for the Kraken over the Flames.
Another impressive road performance for the 2nd year club as Goalie Joey Daccord closed things out.
