Elias Lindholm had a goal and an assist as the host Calgary Flames extended their winning streak to nine games, defeating the expansion Seattle Kraken 2-1 Saturday night.
Matthew Tkachuk also scored and goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 22 saves for the Pacific Division-leading Flames, who have outscored opponents 39-14 during the streak.
Calle Jarnkrok scored for cellar-dwelling Seattle, which has lost three in a row. Philipp Grubauer stopped 35 of 37 shots.
Lindholm, who scored for the seventh straight game, snapped a 1-1 tie at 7:31 of the third period.
Lindholm collected a rebound of Christopher Tanev’s shot from the right point in the slot while skating away from the crease. He spun between the top of the faceoff circles and, in one motion, wristed a shot into the upper left corner of the net past a screened Grubauer.
The Flames took a 1-0 lead on their first shot of the game.
Nikita Zadorov carried the puck from his own zone up the middle of the ice and over the Seattle blue line before dropping a pass to Lindholm on the right wing. Lindholm’s shot was blocked into the corner but he regained the puck along the end boards and poked it out front to an open Tkachuk, who roofed a one-timer.
The Kraken tied the score at 12:26 of the first after Mason Appleton dumped the puck deep into the Calgary zone. Flames defenseman Noah Hanifan tried to backhand the puck up the ice but it went straight to Jarnkrok between the faceoff circles. He put a wrist shot over Markstrom’s glove and into the upper right corner of the net.
Markstrom made a highlight-reel save early in the second, stacking his pads to stop All-Star Jordan Eberle on a three-on-one breakaway.
Seattle’s Mark Giordano, who spent 15 seasons with the Flames, including the last eight as team captain, made his first regular-season appearance in Calgary as an opponent after being selected in the expansion draft.
The Flames paid tribute with a video before the opening faceoff and fans at the Saddledome gave Giordano a standing ovation.
–Field Level Media
