CGY 3 vs 2 SEA
CGY @ SEA
Extended highlights of the Calgary Flames at the Seattle Kraken
With the score tied going into the third period of this divisional game, Calgary controlled the tempo in the final 20 minutes with 15 shots to only six for Seattle. It translated to one goal and two points in the standings for the visiting Flames. Calgary moved into third place in the Pacific Division with 41 points to the
Kraken's 40, though the home team has four games in hand on Calgary.
CAN WE GET A GRUUUUUUUU tonight's @WAFDbank save of the game is
Philipp Grubauer made a huge save a minute-and-a-half into the period, stopping Jonathan Huberdeau point-blank about eight feet from the goal. Huberdeau was a major piece of the Flames' trade of star forward Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers this past summer.
Grubauer squelched another quality scoring chance, this one by CGY defenseman Nikita Zadarov, preventing a Kraken giveaway from turning into a goal. By the eight-minute mark, Grubauer had turned away six shots while Flames goalie Dan Vladar was required to make only two saves.
Nearly 10 minutes into final period of regulation, Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand headed to the penalty box for slashing. To that point, the Flames had scored one power play goal in three tries and totaled nine shots on Grubauer. Thanks to Grubauer, the penalty was killed with four solid saves by the Kraken goalie.
But exactly 12 minutes into the period, Jonathan Huberdeau got a second quality chance and this time elevated his shot past Grubauer on the Flames' 40th shot on goal to make it 3-2. The game-winning goal was Huberdeau's seventh of the season.
Hakstol Unhappy about Final 30 Minutes, Multiple Reasons
Kraken coach Dave Hakstol was straightforward in talking with the post-game media scrum: He didn't like the Kraken's pace in the second half of the game. He was unhappy with Carson Soucy going to the penalty box for high sticking mid-second period, allowing the visitors to tie the game instead of Seattle
stretching matters to a two-goal lead.
And, with no reference or criticism directed at the game's referees, Hakstol was adamant his team had five men on the ice when Seattle was called for too many men on the ice later in the second period. He was equally mystified and angered how the Kraken forced an icing call in the third period, setting up an
offensive zone faceoff with tired Flames players, but instead turned in a two-plus-minutes delay that was effectively a restful timeout for said Calgary players.
"We didn't generate enough zone time to be able to get in the zone and then hold possession to do some work in the offensive zone, create some opportunities," said Hakstol. "We didn't get enough of that in the second half after we took the [Soucy] penalty. We took a bad penalty that ended up in a tie game when
we had a lot of momentum rolling."
Hakstol was not overly concerned that Calgary fired 44 shots on goal: "[Calgary] puts a lot of pucks to the net. We didn't give up a lot of opportunities in the first two periods [with 29 shots on goal] We gave up a little bit too much in a third."
The Kraken coach didn't name names but said "three or four guys that were below the bar" during the second half of the game, making it "difficult to win these types of hockey games.
"We created an icing in the third period and it was two and a half minutes between whistle and puck drop," said Hakstol. "You know what? It's little things that turn into the bigger things."
Oleksiak Goal: Bigger Beats Big
Early second period, Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak scored his fifth goal of the season. In 33 games, he is just one goal off the career-high six he scored for Dallas in 56 games during the 2020-21 season before the Kraken signed him as free agent to make him Seattle's selection from the Stars in the 2021
Expansion Draft. The 6-foot-7 D-man joined the offensive push deep in the CGY zone, beating 6-foot-5 goalie Dan Vladar as first-pair Flames defenseman was tending to SEA forward Jared McCann at the side of the net.
Jordan Eberle notched his second assist of the night, another special-delivery pass from his "office" behind the Calgary net. It was Eberle's 19th assist of the season, tying Andre Burakovsky as team leader.
Tight Game Through Two Periods
Calgary tied the game at 2-2 when Kraken defenseman Carson Soucy was whistled off for high sticking mid-second period. Free agent signee and second-line center Nazam Kadri, a star in Colorado's triumphant 2022 Stanley Cup run, deflected a shot from first-line center Elias Lindholm on the ensuing. The redirected
tip beat Philipp Grubauer between the leg pads.
Seattle controlled the early pace of the middle period, even after the Oleksiak score. Brandon Tanev had two breakaway chances on Vladar that didn't convert to goals. The Kraken fan favorite had one more Grade-A scoring just one shift later.
The teams finished the first period with 14 shots on goal apiece, then finished the middle 20 minutes with Calgary at 29 total shots to 25 for Seattle. It all set up for the type of close game that Kraken coach Dave Hakstol frequently points out as the norm in the NHL - and games his squad needs to win.
Per Natural Stat Trick, the Kraken logged twice as many Grade-A scoring chances (14 to the Flames' seven) against Dan Vladar through the first two periods. Vladar was the losing goalie in a Kraken 5-4 road win in early November.
Donato Hot Streak Fueled by Nose for Net-Front
After Calgary opened the scoring six-plus minutes here at Climate Pledge Arena, the Kraken answered with Ryan Donato's fifth goal in the last six games and his eighth of the season. The defenseman and alternate captain received a secondary assist on the goal, earning it by keeping the puck in the Flames' zone not
once but twice during the late-first-period possession.
Larsson lifted a pass to fellow alternate captain Jordan Eberle behind the CGY net. Eberle stopped the puck mid-air with this stick - the kind of extraordinary touch we NHL fans can take for granted - then quickly passed to Donato net-front, who fired a shot on goal. Calgary's Dan Vladar kicked it out but Donato
followed his own rebound to park into the twine.
Eight games ago, Donato was averaging roughly 10 minutes of time on ice, playing on the fourth line. The Kraken coaching staff moved the Boston native/Harvard star/son of former Bruins forward Ted to the third line with Yanni Gourde. Recently, Oliver Bjorkstrand is the third linemate. Going into Wednesday, Donato
was averaging 14-plus minutes, and, make no mistake, his ability to get net-front is a major reason for the ice-time boost.
Seattle Kraken Holiday Video
The Seattle Kraken players and staff wish all hockey fans happy holidays with a special tribute video featuring top plays and of course, Buoy!
VAN 6 vs 5 SEA
Final Buzzer: Kraken Lose Late Lead, Go Down in Shootout
Kraken score five goals but lose a late one-goal lead to ultimately go down in shootout. They finish with 40 standings points at the holiday break.
SEA @ VAN
Extended highlights of the Seattle Kraken at the Vancouver Canucks
The Kraken were 80 seconds from securing a regulation win over Vancouver. But the Canucks tied with 1:20 remaining. Both teams endured a chaotic overtime, but the home team's Elias Pettersson scored the shootout winner to make it a 6-5 final, just barely beating Kraken goalie and North Vancouver native Martin Jones.
The Kraken are 18-10-4 in 32 games. They have four games in hand as the squad separates for family, which puts them within reach of both Vegas and Los Angeles at the top of the Pacific Division.
Coach Dave Hakstol liked the Kraken's play in the first five minutes of the third period before Vancouver tightened the game to 4-3. Hakstol said the goal changed the energy of the third period for the Canucks, "injecting life into them" despite Daniel Sprong taking a pass from linemate Brandon Tanev a minute later
to go back up to a two-goal margin.
Sprong Scores Second Goal
Brandon Tanev sets up Daniel Sprong's second goal of the game, widening the Kraken's lead to 5-3 in the 3rd period
BING BONG! SPRONGER EXTENDS OUR LEAD!
"End of the day, we still have a one-goal lead in the last minute and half of the period," said Hakstol about Vancouver having an extra skater with a pulled goalie. "We got one clear and then couldn't get guys off the ice. They were tired and {Vancouver] took advantage. We have to do better with a two-goal lead."
The final minutes of regulation were tense and ultimately disappointing with Seattle guarding a 5-4 lead. SEA goalie Martin Jones made a huge stop Canucks grinder JT Miller with three minutes left, then another big save on Elias Pettersson within two minutes left. Vancouver broke through with 1:20 remaining, with
Pettersson scoring his second goal of the night in an empty-net six-on-four scenario. Petterson notched three assists on the other VAN goals.
"Sometimes in hockey, that's the way it goes," said Kraken forward Daniel Sprong, who scored two goals on the night. "Their crowd got into it ... they had a push and we didn't have an answer."
Before the game moved to overtime, Kraken defenseman Justin Schultz nearly won it for Seattle with a long shot that rang off the far post. In overtime, Miller, Pettersson and Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes all hit the iron (post and cross bar) for Vancouver. In the final minute, with a 4-on-3 Vancouver power
play, both Alex Wennberg and Jamie Oleksiak made dramatic shot blocks to move the game to shootout. Not to be missed, Kraken teammates were rapping their sticks against the boards at the bench.
Wennberg Scores Goal
Alexander Wennberg scores against the Vancouver Canucks to make it 4-2
Kraken extend the lead to 4-2!
Shootout Drama
Ryan Donato was first up for Seattle and lost control of the puck, no goal. Jones stopped Andrei Kuzmenko. Daniel Sprong produced a solid effort against VAN goalie Spencer Martin but couldn't clear the goal line. When JT Miller slow-dragged then roofed a shot past Jones, it was up to Jordan Eberle to keep the game
alive for Seattle. The veteran delivered a roof shot of his own. But Elias Pettersson, out sick Wednesday, notched five points in regulation Thursday and squeaked a multiple-deke shot just past Jones to make it 6-5 Canucks.
Kraken Score Twice In 10 Seconds
Oliver Bjorkstrand scores on a 2-on-1 rush, then Daniel Sprong notches a tip-in goal just 10 seconds later to put the Kraken up 3-1 in the 2nd
*dj khaled voice* ANOTHA ONE! 3-1, #SEAKRAKEN
Ten Seconds, 32 Seconds
The Kraken's fortunes changed for the good in just 10 seconds Thursday, three-and-half minutes into the middle period when Oliver Bjorkstrand and Daniel Sprong scored the second and third Seattle goals. Credit Sprong with his ninth goal of the season with Bjorkstrand registering his fourth. It is the fastest two
goals in Kraken history, a nice gift for SEA fans everywhere.
Bjorkstrand benefitted from a pass from linemate Jaden Schwartz, who created a two-on-1 rush with his underrated speed from deep the Kraken defensive zone. The next shift Morgan Geekie cleanly won a faceoff in the offensive zone, directing the puck back to Adam Larsson at the right point. Larsson quickly shot
net front with Sprong deflecting the puck upward and over the VAN goal line.
Sprong is tied for third in goals (10, same as Andre Burakovsky) among Seattle goal scorers in just 25 games and is on a 22-goal pace for the season after making the squad on a professional tryout out of training camp. No wonder he was smiling widely after the goal and yet again soon after sitting next to fellow
goal scorer Bjorkstrand on the bench.
Sprong Scores Goal
Daniel Sprong scores against the Vancouver Canucks to make it 3-1
Jones In Return to Hometown
North Vancouver native Martin Jones got the start and now sports a 15-6-2 record on the season, three more victories than he recorded all year with Philly in 2021-22. He faced 12 Grade-A saves on the night, through two periods, including a big second-period stop on an in-close, point-blank shot by VAN forward
Andrei Kuzmenko just 22 seconds after the Sprong goal made it 3-1. Jones had 31 saves for the game.
Just under five minutes later, Vancouver young star Elias Pettersson, who missed Wednesday practice due to illness, did make it 3-2 for his 14th goal of the season. But Jones just a few shifts later denied another crease-front shot, this one by Canucks winger Ilya Mikheyev to avoid the dreaded tie game. Seattle
finished the period up 4-2 on stay-with-it goal by Alex Wennberg.
Fast Start, Surprise Goal
The Kraken were humming early in B.C. with special marks to the Kraken fourth line of Morgan Geekie, Brandon Tanev and Daniel Sprong. They were converting solid defensive plays into offensive chances, none better than Geekie firing a point-blank shot at Vancouver goalie Spencer Martin.
The 27-year-old Martin (9-5-1 for the sub-.500 Canucks) made the stop and a few other quality saves in the early aggression from Seattle. But Kraken leading goal scorer Jared McCann surprised Martin mid-period, faking a play to rim the boards into the VAN offensive zone. He slung a long shot from outside the blue
line instead (figure it about 66 feet from the goal line) and clearly surprised Martin, who was caught one stride out of the crease to stop the puck behind his net. It ended up far side over the goal line.
"He's a pretty active goalie," said McCann to ROOT SPORTS' Piper Shaw during the first intermission. "I thought I would throw one past him."
It should be noted: Kraken D-man Adam Larsson, whose stretch pass Tuesday night was a popular topic of discussion in media scrums after the home win over St. Louis, was up to the offensive wizardry again Thursday. After Matty Beniers disrupted a Vancouver rush, he pushed the puck to Larsson. The Kraken's No.
1 defenseman, same as Tuesday, was skating toward his own end only quickly change direct a backhand pass to McCann. The quick play enhanced the surprise attack on Martin.