Noah Hanifin recorded four assists, leading the Calgary Flames to a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, marking their fourth consecutive win.
Blake Coleman, Trevor Lewis, and Michael Stone each scored off primary assists from Hanifin. Hanifin also contributed a secondary assist on Tyler Toffoli’s short-handed, empty-net goal to finish the scoring. Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for Calgary. Karson Kuhlman scored for Seattle, with Philipp Grubauer stopping 25 shots.
“Before we came on the road, we weren’t really happy with where we were,” Hanifin said. “The last week at home, we didn’t play our best. Getting out of Calgary and hitting the road was good for us. These were big points tonight.”
Calgary coach Daryl Sutter noted that the team’s 4-0 road trip should garner some respect.
“It was a tough game today,” Sutter said. “It’s the fourth game in the past five and a half days. There’s a lot of work involved in that.”
The teams will conclude their home-and-home series on Tuesday night in Calgary. The Flames hold a 3-0 record against the Kraken this season, while Seattle has lost four of its last six games.
Coleman opened the scoring 3:55 into the first period, deflecting Hanifin’s shot from the blue line past a screened Grubauer. Kuhlman tied it 1:05 later, one-timing Morgan Geekie’s pass from behind the net over Markstrom’s stick.
Late in the first period, Hanifin made a deep run and found Trevor Lewis in the crease, who buried the pass with 16.5 seconds left for a 2-1 lead.
“That’s a tough goal to give up,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “We’ve got to be — I use the word stiffer — just plain and simple. We can’t give that goal up.”
Stone extended the lead to 3-1 with a power-play goal at 8:39 of the second period. Hanifin set him up with a cross-ice pass, which Stone converted with a one-timer from the left faceoff circle.
Calgary solidified the win by killing three Seattle power plays late in the second period, including 54 seconds of a 5-on-3 advantage.
“We got down by a couple, and from that point on, the guy in net became the difference in the hockey game,” Hakstol said of Markstrom.
NOTES
Hanifin reached three or more assists for the second time this season. Kuhlman has two goals in his last four games. Calle Jarnkrok (illness) was a game-time scratch for the Flames, who acquired the forward from Seattle at the trade deadline. He would have been the first former player to suit up against the expansion franchise.
UP NEXT
- Flames: Host Seattle on Tuesday night.
- Kraken: At Calgary on Tuesday night.
