SEATTLE — In a solid performance, the Calgary Flames secured a 3-2 victory against the Seattle Kraken on Sunday night, propelled by power-play goals from Yegor Sharangovich and Jonathan Huberdeau during a productive first period that saw the Flames net three goals. Morgan Frost contributed as well, and with Dan Vlader making 27 saves, Calgary maintained its grip on the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
For Seattle, Kaapo Kakko and Brandon Tanev found the net, but the loss marks the team’s fourth defeat in six games. Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord recorded 32 saves throughout the match.
Calgary started strong, with Frost scoring the opening goal at 5:57 left in the first period, just after Seattle had a power-play goal from Jaden Schwartz disallowed following a successful challenge for goalie interference. Sharangovich then increased Calgary’s lead, managing to sneak a shot past Daccord with 3:17 remaining in the period. Despite Seattle’s challenge for goaltender interference, this goal was upheld after review. Huberdeau capped the first period with his 20th goal, scoring during a 5-on-3 power play with 2:04 on the clock.
In the second period, the Kraken finally got on the scoreboard with a power-play one-timer from Kakko at 5:29. Tanev then followed up, narrowing the score to 3-2 at 5:41 of the third period. Notably, Schwartz assisted on Kakko’s goal, marking his 300th career point.
**Takeaways**
The Flames have displayed a strong winning percentage of 70% when scoring first, ranking seventh in the league. However, they have struggled with scoring in the first period this season, accumulating only 30 goals, making them the least productive team at that stage.
On the other hand, the Kraken are dealing with an issue of allowing goals, having conceded 61 in the first period, the second most in the NHL. After falling behind early, the Kraken were unable to establish any momentum and spent the remainder of the match trailing.
**Key Moment**
A pivotal moment occurred when Calgary’s Brayden Pachal delivered a significant hit in the center of the ice, leading to some altercations that resulted in a double-minor penalty for the Kraken. This opened the door for the Flames to extend their lead on the power play, allowing them to maintain their advantage for the rest of the game.
**Key Stat**
Seattle finished the evening with seven penalties totaling 14 minutes, seeing three players in the penalty box simultaneously at one point in the game.
**Up Next**
The Flames are set to face off against Toronto on Tuesday, kicking off a three-game homestand, while the Kraken will welcome the Detroit Red Wings to their home arena.
