Total chaos. That’s how the Calgary Flames’ undefeated streak came to an end. So did their chances at a first-ever 5-0 start to the NHL season.
The Flames took a perfect record into Seattle to face the Kraken on Saturday night and nearly set the new franchise record streak. But less than a minute into overtime, after 60 minutes solved nothing, one mistake ended it.
Nazem Kadri made an uncharacteristic turnover as he tried to make a move to the middle in his own end, with Kraken captain Jordan Eberle pressuring. Seconds later, after an initial attempt by Brandon Montour, an inadvertent removal of Flames goalie Dan Vladar’s stick during contact with Rasmus Andersson, and a patient pass from Montour to a trailing Eberle, the puck was rifled into the net amid the turmoil to give the Kraken a 2-1 overtime win.
It ended the game, Calgary’s unbeaten streak, as well as Vladar’s personal record of perfection in Seattle.
Hey, at least they got a point. It’s hard to criticize nine of a possible 10 points over the first handful of games. Especially when very few expected them to net more than half of what was available.
One important takeaway is that on a night when the team didn’t have much going for it, lacking energy, discipline and execution for most of the night, the Flames still came away with a point on the road. This team is much better than most thought it would be after the turnover it has experienced over the past couple of years.
“We found a way to hang around and found a way to get a point out of here in a tougher building to play in. That’s the positive side of it,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska told the team’s reporters post-game. “I think we can make it a little easier on ourselves as we move forward by being better with the puck.”
Related: In Their Defence: Flames Back End Proving Capable Of Pressure
The loss ended a weird week for the Calgary Flames. After a busy early stretch of hockey, including three games in four nights, they had a relatively lengthy lull, They last played on Tuesday against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks.
During that gap, they took time off to do some team building, then practised in the mountains for a change of scenery before heading to sea level to face the Kraken.
They continued with the goalie rotation, starting Vladar over rookie Dustin Wolf, after both won their previous two starts. It looked like a great decision, Vladar has been stellar since the forgettable opening period of the season when the Vancouver Canucks scored four goals in the first 20 minutes.
Vladar made 21 saves on the night. Blake Coleman scored the Flames’ only goal on the powerplay. They’ll look to get back on track against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday in Calgary.
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