By Canadian Press

Flames edge past Kraken for ninth win in a row

Feb 19, 2022 | 11:02 PM

CALGARY — Elias Lindholm extended his goal streak to seven games notching the go-ahead goal 7:31 into the third period on Saturday as the Calgary Flames extended their winning streak to nine games with a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken.

Lindholm has nine goals over the span and is up to 22 on the season. Assisting on Matthew Tkachuk’s first-period goal as well, Lindholm also has a nine-game point streak (eight goals, seven assists).

Tkachuk also had an assist for a two-point game for Calgary (29-13-6). The Flames will look to complete a perfect seven-game homestand when they play host to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.

Calle Jarnkrok scored the lone goal for Seattle (16-31-4). The Kraken, who have lost three straight, wrap up a three-game road trip in Vancouver on Monday.

Jacob Markstrom was excellent again in net for the Flames, starting for the 14th time in the last 15 games. He made 22 saves to improve to 22-10-5.

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His best save came four minutes into the second period when he slid across the crease with an old fashioned stacking of the pads to rob Jordan Eberle after he had been set up on a two-on-one by Alex Wennberg.

Philipp Grubauer made 35 stops for Seattle. He falls to 12-21-4.

On the winning goal, Lindholm corralled the rebound off a Chris Tanev shot in the slot, spun and sent a wrist shot just inside the goal post on Grubauer’s blocker side.

It came after Grubauer had made 32 saves in a row, bouncing back spectacularly after giving up a goal on the first shot he faced.

In keeping the score 1-1, Grubauer stretched out his pad late in the first to rob Flames leading goal scorer Andrew Mangiapane on a one-timer.

He then stopped Mangiapane on another dangerous chance six minutes into the second, this time thrusting out his blocker to get a piece of the puck.

Grubauer also got some help from defenceman Adam Larsson five minutes into the third. Johnny Gaudreau’s shot from 10 feet out with the net vacant was blocked by Adam Larsson, who stuck out his leg to rob the Flames’ leading scorer.

Mangiapane ends up seeing his seven-game point streak snapped. Johnny Gaudreau had his point streak come to an end at eight.

Coming into the night, Calgary had won five games in a row by three or more goals for the first time in franchise history. The Flames had outscored teams 37-13 over that stretch, but this game would be a more difficult test.

Calgary opened the scoring for the 31st time at 3:02 of the first period when Lindholm centered a pass to Tkachuk, cruising through the slot, before he beat Grubauer high on the glove side for his 24th goal.

Seattle pulled even at 12:26 taking advantage of a blunder by defenceman Noah Hanifin. Getting the puck behind the net and facing the boards, Hanifin blindly sent the puck into his own slot where there the only player there was Jarnkrok who quickly whipped a shot past a surprised Markstrom.

NOTES: Before the game, the Flames honoured longtime captain Mark Giordano, who was playing his first regular-season game back in Calgary, where he played for 15 seasons and logged 949 career games, second all-time to Jarome Iginla. The half-capacity crowd gave him a 60-second standing ovation. … Mikael Backlund played career game No. 792, moving him ahead of Theoren Fleury and into fifth on the Flames all-time list. … Gaudreau leads the NHL in plus-minus at plus-39.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19 2022.

Darren Haynes, The Canadian Press