Fresh off their humbling 6–0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, the Seattle Kraken headed south on Wednesday to face the Calgary Flames. One player, in particular, had this game on his radar, as Kraken defenseman Mark Giordano spent 15 seasons with the franchise.
Like it was written in a fairy tale, Giordano took just three minutes to get his revenge goal. He cut up the middle of the Flames’ zone and sent a backhand through the legs of goalie Dan Vladar to give the Kraken a 1–0 lead.
Three minutes later, Jaden Schwartz put the visitors up 2–0, with his first of two goals on the night. Schwartz picked up a juicy rebound following a long Adam Larsson point shot and put the puck into the back of the net.
Calgary got on the board with five minutes remaining in the opening period, as Matthew Tkachuk snuck through three Kraken defenders and flipped a pass from Elias Lindholm past a surprised Philipp Grubauer, which brought a close to the first period scoring at 2–1. Seattle led the Flames in shots on net 9–5.
The second period was a bit of a slog, as both teams went into their shells. They combined for only eight total shots on net, with the Kraken only mustering up two of those shots. Despite the low shot totals, Calgary defenseman Michael Stone scored the only goal, which tied the game at 2–2.
The third period saw Seattle goalie Joey Daccord take over for Grubauer, while Calgary stuck with Vladar for the entire contest. That change saw Daccord face as many shots in the final 25 minutes (11) as Grubauer saw in the previous 40 minutes.
With just over seven minutes remaining in regulation, Schwartz’s second goal of the game put the Kraken up 3–2. Jordan Eberle stole the puck from a lackadaisical Stone and fed Schwartz for an easy one-timer past Vladar. Schwartz and Eberle hooked up on a 2-on-0 chance with under four minutes remaining, but Vladar shut the door with a really nice toe save, keeping Calgary alive. The Seattle lead would not hold until the final horn, though.
Just a minute later, Mikael Backlund led a 2-on-1 against Kraken defenseman Will Borgen and Daccord, but kept the puck and beat the Kraken netminder to tie the game at 3–3, sending the game to extra time.
Both teams traded chances in the overtime, but the game was decided in a shootout. Jarad McCann and Eberle scored for Seattle, while only Tkachuk scored for Calgary, giving the Kraken their second preseason win.
Anchor points
⚓ Just prior to the game, the Kraken announced that they signed free agent left wing Max McCormick to a one-year deal worth $750,000. McCormick spent last season with the Carolina organization and previously spent five seasons with the Ottawa organization and a brief stint with the AHL Colorado Eagles.
Welcome to SEA-town! 🦑
The #SeaKraken have signed forward @mccomax17 to a one-year, two-way contract (750k AAV). pic.twitter.com/intSY03fab
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) September 30, 2021
⚓ Grubauer has looked good at times, but he is going to need to be more consistent if this team is going to contend. He has time to sort things out, but he needs to be one of their best players when he is in the net. Clearly, a .778 save percentage is not sufficient.
⚓ The Kraken penalty kill was perfect on the night, but their power play was kept off the board as well. Once they are closer to the full strength roster, the power play needs to be more effective. Since going 3 for 5 in the opener, they have been held scoreless.
⚓ Schwartz could have easily had four goals. He has been a great leader and example for this team. Eberle has been a force, as well. Those two will be go-to players for the team this season.
⚓ The Kraken head back to the states to face the Oilers again, in Everett, on Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. PDT.