Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
The Calgary Flames had a couple tough match-ups at home earlier this week, ultimately dropping two games against Toronto and Colorado that got away from them. On Saturday, the Flames closed out their schedule prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off when they hosted the Seattle Kraken. After two games looking overwhelmed at times, the Flames looked like, well, the Flames against Seattle.
Unfortunately, the Flames couldn’t hold back a late Kraken push and lost 3-2 in overtime.
The rundown
The opening period was pretty even at five-on-five, but the Kraken had a lot of special teams time.
The Flames took consecutive minor penalties and the Kraken got an extended five-on-three power play. The Flames were full marks on a successful kill, with MacKenzie Weegar making a heck of a shot block that blew the blade off his left skate (and then Weegar cleared the puck), and Dustin Wolf made a sprawling save on Kaapo Kakko.
First period shots were 10-9 Kraken. Via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 5-5 (high-danger chances were 2-2).
The Flames started to take over the game in the second period, keeping things at five-on-five, rolling their lines and building momentum.
A couple minutes into the period, Yegor Sharangovich sent former Flyers teammates Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost in on an odd-man rush. Frost called his own number and picked the top corner on Joey Daccord to make it 1-0 Flames.
Second period shots were 13-5 Flames. Five-on-five scoring chances were 12-4 Flames (high-danger chances were 5-1 Flames).
The Flames began the third period with a power play, and Brandon Tanev got a breakaway chance shorthanded but Wolf made a big stop.
A few minutes into the third period, the Kraken hemmed the Flames’ fourth line and third pairing in their own zone. But the Flames survived, and shortly after their escape, Nazem Kadri redirected a Jonathan Huberdeau pass into the Kraken net to make it 2-0 Flames.
But with 6:48 remaining, the Kraken got on the board. A point shot didn’t find its mark, but Shane Wright batted home the loose rebound to cut the Flames’ lead to 2-1.
A little later, the Kraken tied it up. Huberdeau had his pocket picked by Andre Burakovsky, who beat Wolf in-close to tie the game at 2-2.
Third period shots were 12-7 Kraken. Five-on-five scoring chances were 9-5 Kraken (high-danger chances were 3-2 Kraken).
This game required overtime. The Kraken received a power play in extra time after Frost was called for holding. Matty Beniers beat Wolf glove-side on the power play to win this game 3-2.
Overtime shots were 1-0 Kraken.
Why the Flames got a point
After a couple games where the Flames seemed a bit scrambly and out-matched, they really looked like themselves against the Kraken. When they were at five-on-five, they did a really nice job playing with structure and pace and avoiding making too many mistakes. They were quite good in the second period especially before the Kraken made their late push in the third period to tie the game. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to quite hold onto this one and let it slip away late.
The Flames were pretty good. But they played just poorly enough at key times to lose in overtime.
Red Warrior
Let’s give it to MacKenzie Weegar. He had a pair of assists and played a ton.
Turning point
Based on who carried play, this wasn’t a game that really should’ve made it to extra time. Give the Kraken credit: they made a nice third period push. Huberdeau’s puck-handling whoopsie that led to the tying goal was a tough one, though.
We don’t love the call on the Frost overtime penalty, but that’s also a kill that you need to get.
This and that
The special teams units for the Flames looked like this:
- PP1: Weegar, Kadri, Huberdeau, Coronato and Frost
- PP2: Andersson, Backlund, Coleman, Sharangovich and Farabee
- PK1: Andersson, Solovyov, Backlund and Coleman
- PK2: Weegar, Pachal, Huberdeau and Rooney
- PK3: rotating defenders, Farabee and Sharangovich
Ilya Solovyov and Dryden Hunt made their season debuts with the Flames after being called up from the Wranglers earlier this week. Their debuts make it 11 players that have dressed for both the Wranglers and Flames this season: the other nine are Devin Cooley (dressed as backup once), Tyson Barrie, Matt Coronato, Sam Honzek, Jakob Pelletier, Walker Duehr, Adam Klapka, Clark Bishop and Rory Kerins.
Up next
The Flames (26-21-8) are off for the 4-Nations Face-off break. They return to action on Sun., Feb. 23 when they host the San Jose Sharks.
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