Matthew Tkachuk scored three goals, bringing his season total to a career-best 37, as the Calgary Flames rallied in the third period to defeat the Seattle Kraken 5-3 on Tuesday night.
Noah Hanifin contributed a goal and an assist, and Andrew Mangiapane added a goal as well, helping Calgary (45-19-9) extend their winning streak to five games. The Flames turned the game around with four unanswered goals in the final period.
Coach Darryl Sutter made key adjustments, shuffling lines and changing goalies, which sparked the Flames’ third-period surge. Johnny Gaudreau assisted on two of the goals, reaching a career-high 101 points. His primary assistance with Tkachuk’s second goal was particularly memorable.
“It’s cool,” Gaudreau said. “I just made a little pass down to Chucky, and he tried to go seam to (Elias Lindholm), and it bounced right back to him, and he fired it in the net. It was a big one.”
Dan Vladar (11-5-1) took over in goal for the third period, stopping all seven shots he faced and securing the win. His best save came on a short-handed breakaway attempt by Karson Kuhlman. Jacob Markstrom had started the game and made 12 saves on 15 shots.
Ryan Donato scored his career-best 15th goal, with Victor Rask and Adam Larsson also finding the net for Seattle (23-44-6), which was swept in the four-game season series. Chris Driedger made 26 saves for the Kraken.
Trailing 3-1 after two periods, the Flames quickly drew even in the third. Tkachuk’s second goal came on a 4-on-3 power play, as his attempted pass deflected off Larsson and back to him, allowing him to score.
Gaudreau, who previously set his career high with 99 points in 2018-19, shared a special moment with Tkachuk after hitting the 100-point milestone, celebrating with a hug as the Saddledome crowd cheered. Gaudreau’s parents, who had been attending their first game in Calgary since before the pandemic, celebrated in the stands.
“I’m sure my mom and dad were pretty excited. They hadn’t been out here in probably three years,” Gaudreau said. “My dad’s probably going to tell me I didn’t play the best game, but he’s going to be happy for me, and it’s exciting to have him here.”
Gaudreau became the seventh player in franchise history to reach 100 points, the first since Theoren Fleury in 1992-93.
Hanifin’s slap shot on a power play at 14:10 of the third period gave the Flames a 4-3 lead. He has been on a hot streak, tallying seven points (one goal, six assists) in his last three games. Tkachuk completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
“You’ve got to win third periods,” Sutter said. “They’re not always going to be great, but you’ve got to try and win the third period. Win the third period; you’re going to win hockey games.”
Seattle had taken a 3-1 lead by the end of the second period, with Rask and Larsson adding to Donato’s first-period goal. Donato’s goal came off a perfect setup from rookie Matty Beniers, who was making his NHL debut.
“I was excited about how it went,” said the 19-year-old Beniers. “I was playing with two great players. They made it pretty easy on me. I thought we did a good job tonight. Just tough. You want to come out with that win.”
Calgary equalized late in the first period when Tkachuk deflected Hanifin’s point shot.
Beniers, the second-overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft, signed with Seattle on Monday after Michigan’s loss in the NCAA Frozen Four. In 61 games with the Wolverines, he had 67 points (30 goals, 37 assists). Beniers debuted, centering the Kraken’s top line with Donato and Jordan Eberle.
“His hockey sense and his ability to know and understand what’s around him on the ice showed to be excellent tonight,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “Most importantly, I thought he just really showed good poise throughout the entire day, on the ice, off the ice.”
Game notes: In addition to Fleury (twice), Calgary’s other 100-point seasons came from Kent Nilsson (twice), Joe Mullen, Hakan Loob, Al MacInnis, and Mike Bullard. … Calgary C Calle Jarnkrok (non-COVID illness) returned after missing five games. His return bumped Ryan Carpenter to the press box. The Flames improved to 2-12-2 in games where they trailed after two periods.
UP NEXT
- Kraken: They host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.
- Flames: They host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.
