Flames 3, Kraken 2
Calgary has brought a very physical game to Seattle each and every time they’ve visited. They earned a power play just 2:27 into the match when Kraken D-man Brandon Montour took exception to Martin Pospisil’s enormous clean hit along the corner boards against Kraken winger Andre Burakovsky.
Montour went for interference. The Flames failed with the man advantage.
Seattle earned the next one when Calgary’s Matt Coronato tripped Montour.
A quiet audience at Climate Pledge Arena received a jolt at 11:03 of the 1st period. That’s when Jaden Schwartz’s opening power play tally was taken off the board due to goaltender interference. It was determined Schwartz tied up Calgary goalie Dan Vladar’s stick while standing in the blue paint looking for a screen and a rebound.
At 14:03, the Flames took a permanent lead when Morgan Frost ripped a wrist shot top shelf, glove side on Joey Daccord. The recent addition from the Philadelphia Flyers had narrowly missed converting a goal two minutes earlier on the doorstep.
The event went downhill from there; slowly. The 1st period plodded on.
The Flames scored their second goal on the power play, also the result of Burakovsky getting drilled and the Kraken retaliating. Jared McCann picked up an extra two minutes for roughing Brayden Pachal and Yegor Sharangovich tucked the puck five-hole on Daccord.
The Kraken had the play reviewed for goalie interference.
The review failed. It appeared the puck was already making its way into the net before Sharangovich hooked Daccord’s glovehand.
It was the crowd’s turn to take exception. They booed incessantly.
Oh, by the way, besides the two minute penalty to Seattle for delay-of-game for the failed review, Jamie Oleksiak slashed Sharangovich on his way to the net.
On the 5-on-3 man advantage that ensued, Calgary scored again. Jonathan Huberdeau tallied his 20th of the season with a one-time from the right circle at 17:56.
3-0 Flames after one.
Calgary enjoyed its lead and a slower pace through the first 14:31 of the 2nd period. That’s when Seattle’s Kaapo Kakko scored his 9th goal of the season on a cross-ice, 2-on-1 feed from Jaden Schwartz. It cut the lead to 3-1 with Schwartz picking up his 300th career assist.
Six minutes into the 3rd period, Seattle made it a game again on a fortuitous bounce. Off a clean Shane Wright offensive zone face-off win, McCann fired a shot that bounced off a couple of bodies, including Brandon Tanev’s in front, to cut the Calgary lead to 3-2. “Turbo” had his 9th goal of the season.
A Seattle power play followed soon after. The door was open but the Kraken failed to click.
As time wound down, Calgary held on for dear life. Daccord left the net for the extra attacker with just less than 90 seconds to play. The Flames survived.
Calgary took a two-point lead over the Vancouver Canucks for the 2nd wild card playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Earlier Kraken:
— Seattle’s Savior Joey Daccord
