Matthew Tkachuk netted three goals, bringing his season total to a career-best 37, as the Calgary Flames overcame the Seattle Kraken 5-3 on Tuesday night.
Noah Hanifin contributed a goal and an assist, while Andrew Mangiapane scored for Calgary (45-19-9). The Flames scored four unanswered goals in the third period, securing their fifth consecutive win.
After a sluggish first two periods, coach Darryl Sutter changed the lines and goaltender, sparking a quick response from the Flames in the third.
Johnny Gaudreau tallied two assists, reaching a career-high 101 points. He assisted on Tkachuk’s second goal.
“It’s cool,” Gaudreau said. “I just passed down to Chucky, and he tried to go seam to (Elias Lindholm), and it bounced right back to him and 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, including a key save on Karson Kuhlman during a short-handed breakaway. Jacob Markstrom stopped 12 of 15 shots before being replaced.
Ryan Donato scored his career-best 15th goal, while Victor Rask and Adam Larsson also scored for Seattle (23-44-6), which lost all four games in the season series against Calgary. Chris Driedger made 26 saves for the Kraken.
Trailing 3-1 after two periods, the Flames quickly tied the game in the opening six minutes of the third.
On a 4-on-3 power play, Tkachuk’s attempted pass across the crease hit Larsson and came right back to him, allowing him to score his second goal of the game.
Gaudreau celebrated his milestone assist with a big hug from Tkachuk as the Saddledome crowd erupted. His parents, Guy and Jane, who were visiting Calgary for the first time 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 is the seventh player in franchise history to reach 100 points, the first since Theoren Fleury in 1992-93.
“I know us, as linemates and teammates, would be lying to you if we said we weren’t trying to get it for him and thinking about it for most of the last couple of games when he’s sitting at 99,” Tkachuk said. “It’s pretty cool to be linked to that with him, so that’s very cool for me and it just speaks to the year he’s having … and we’re not done yet.”
Hanifin scored the game-winner with a slap shot on a power play at 14:10 of the third period. He has seven points (one goal, six assists) in the 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.”
Tied 1-1 after the first period, Seattle scored two goals in the second to take a 3-1 lead.
Rask gave Seattle its second lead with a one-timer off a pass from Kole Lind. Larsson extended the lead with a low shot that squeezed through Markstrom’s pads late in the period.
Seattle opened the scoring at 14:13 of the first period with a perfect setup from rookie Matty Beniers, who was making his NHL debut. Beniers zipped a pass across the slot to Donato, who one-timed it past Markstrom.
“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 tied it less than three minutes later when Tkachuk deflected Hanifin’s point shot out of mid-air.
Beniers, a Hobey Baker finalist and second-overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft, signed with Seattle on Monday after Michigan lost to Denver in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals. In 61 games over two seasons with the Wolverines, he had 67 points (30 goals, 37 assists).
His night began with the customary rookie solo lap before the rest of the Kraken took the ice for warm-up. He then spent the night centering the club’s top line with Donato and Jordan Eberle.
“His hockey sense and 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, bumping Ryan Carpenter to the press box. The Flames improved to 2-12-2 in games where they trailed after two periods.
UP NEXT
- Kraken: Host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.
- Flames: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.
