Seattle Goes 42 Minutes Between 2nd And 3rd Goals
One of the Seattle Kraken's lesser-discussed issues has been fast starts, followed by unexplained lethargy.
That affliction reappeared against a Calgary Flames team ripe for being exploited.
Instead of continuing the momentum from two strong performances, the Kraken disappeared after the first 20 minutes, allowing Calgary to break a six-game losing streak with a 6-3 win Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena.
1st Period
Calgary has been a better early-season tonic for opponents than chicken soup. Whatever ails your team, playing the Flames seems to cure it.
A lukewarm first eight minutes turns red-hot in flash. First, Flames goalie Dan Vladar makes an astounding recovery save on Alex Wennberg's rebound try.
At the other end seconds later, Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer is out of position, but Jared McCann smothers Andrew Mangiapane backhand headed for the open net.
While McCann is prone on top of the puck, Mangiapane decides to deliver an ugly cross-check to the back of McCann's neck. That's one way not to have to watch Flames hockey - Mangiapane is ejected for deliberate attempt to injure, and the rest of the Flames must try and kill his five-minute major.
Seattle gets one during the major, Oliver Bjorkstrand's fourth at 9:56, assisted by Justin Schultz and Yanni Gourde.
Calgary's Martin Pospisil, nice and rested from serving Mangiapane's major, comes out of the box to tie the game 1-1 at 13:59.
With McCann still recovering, Devin Shore gets a turn with Gourde and Tolvanen. Making the most of the opportunity, Shore bats down a puck, starting a pretty passing play which ends with Tolvanen's second goal of the season at 16:22.
2nd Period
After 20 minutes, Seattle leads in goals 2-1, and shots 10-6. Yanni Gourde has helpers on both Kraken goals.
Kraken defenseman Brian Dumoulin, who's scored in two straight, saves a goal. He lifts Noah Hanafin's stick near the crease, preventing an easy tap-in.
Following an unsuccessful Seattle power play, Devin Shore centers to a breaking Tye Kartye. Vladar makes the save, and for his trouble, Kartye is plastered into the boards by Nikita Zadorov.
The Kraken put themselves in unnecessary penalty trouble when Tolvanen (boarding, 15:47) and McCann (high sticking, 17:01 ) take overlapping penalties. Grubauer makes two saves during the 5-on-3, and a sparkling pad save through traffic after Tolvanen returns.
But with one second left on McCann's minor, the Flames' Hanafin ties the game at 19:00.
An unimpressive period for the home team ends 2-2. Shots in the 2nd were 13-3 Calgary, 19-13 visitors through 40.
3rd Period
Calgary takes its first lead, 3-2, at 1:33, a Yegor Sharangovich tip-in.
Acting like they weren't informed the period had started, the Kraken allow an A.J. Greer clean breakaway from center ice. Though Grubauer outwaits him to make a marvelous save, it gets worse.
Trailing the play, one Kraken defenseman, Dumoulin, peels off to the near boards after Grubauer's save. The other d-man, Schultz, decides to cover Greer in the far corner, after he gets a second whack at the puck. But it gets worse.
With no Kraken to protect their still-prone goalie, Mikael Backlund swoops in. At this point wondering when the cavalry will arrive, Grubauer somehow gets a pad on Backlund's first whack. His second whack, the fourth Calgary shot in this embarrasing sequence, doubles the Flames' lead to 4-2 at 4:00.
With Grubauer pulled for a sixth attacker, Jaden Schwartz redirects a Matty Beniers shot to close the gap to 4-3. But Calgary gets two empy-netters before the game mercifully ends.
Postgame
You know the cliche about letting struggling teams "stick around." Seattle allowed three Flames to record their first goal of the season - and the Kraken will be kicking themselves for letting Calgary snap its 6-game losing streak on their watch.
