Elias Lindholm continued his scoring streak with a crucial goal in the third period, leading the Calgary Flames to a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night, extending their winning streak to nine games.
Matthew Tkachuk contributed a goal and an assist for Calgary, while Jacob Markstrom made 22 saves, starting his 14th game in the last 15. Lindholm, who also added an assist, extended his point streak to nine games, during which he has tallied eight goals and seven assists.
“A lot of teams got points last night,” Lindholm said. “We want to keep the momentum going and create some breathing room, so this was an important win. It was a tough game—they played tight with little space or chances. But we found a way.”
The Flames are now just one win away from matching the longest win streak in franchise history.
“I think right now we just want to keep winning,” Markstrom said. “The streak is not our focus; it’s about maintaining momentum and collecting two points every game. That’s all that matters right now.”
Calle Jarnkrok scored the lone goal for Seattle, but they are now losing three straight games. Philipp Grubauer was impressive in net, finishing with 35 saves.
“We came here to win, and we fell short,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “Our game had some positive aspects, but we didn’t get the desired result.”
Lindholm broke the tie at 7:31 of the third period, seizing a rebound from a Chris Tanev shot and spinning to send a wrist shot just inside the post on Grubauer’s blocker side. It was his 22nd goal of the season, ending Grubauer’s streak of 32 consecutive saves after conceding on the first shot he faced.
Markstrom made a highlight-reel save four minutes into the second period, sliding across the crease with a pad stack to rob Jordan Eberle after a 2-on-1 set up by Alex Wennberg.
“We had most of the shots and chances,” Markstrom said. “They had a few, but we kept the scoreboard in our favor. It’s tough playing against these guys; they don’t give much space and rely on stretch passes for scoring chances. You have to stay mentally sharp.”
Grubauer also made several key saves to keep the game close, including a late first-period stop on a one-timer from Calgary’s leading scorer, Andrew Mangiapane. He then denied Mangiapane again early in the second period with a quick blocker save.
“He (Grubauer) did an excellent job tonight. He was solid from start to finish,” Hakstol said. “He made some big saves at crucial moments, which you need when playing on the road against a strong team.”
Grubauer received additional help from defenseman Adam Larsson, who blocked a shot from Johnny Gaudreau with the net wide-open five minutes into the third period.
Calgary opened the scoring just 3:02 into the first period when Lindholm set up Tkachuk in the slot, who beat Grubauer high on the glove side for his 24th goal of the season.
Seattle equalized with 7:34 left in the period, capitalizing on a mistake by defenseman Noah Hanifin. Hanifin’s blind pass from behind the net went straight to Jarnkrok, who quickly fired a shot past a surprised Markstrom.
STREAKS SNAPPED
Mangiapane’s seven-game point streak ended, as did Gaudreau’s eight-game point streak.
Game Notes
Before the game, the Flames honored former captain Mark Giordano, who played his first regular-season game back in Calgary after 15 seasons with the team. Giordano received a 60-second standing ovation from the half-capacity crowd. … Mikael Backlund played his 792nd career game, moving past Theoren Fleury into fifth place on the Flames’ all-time list.
UP NEXT
- Kraken: Visit Vancouver on Monday night to wrap up a three-game road trip.
- Flames: Host Winnipeg on Monday to conclude a seven-game homestand.
