Story by
Flames Fall to Kraken in Preseason Opener: Three Takeaways
- Story by
- Flames Fall to Kraken in Preseason Opener: Three Takeaways
The Calgary Flames opened their preseason schedule Sunday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, dropping a 4-2 decision to the Seattle Kraken.
With most of Calgary's regular lineup still on the sidelines, the night provided an early opportunity for prospects and younger players to make an impression.
Advertisement
Aydar Suniev certainly made his presence felt.
Suniev scored twice, including the game-tying goal in the third period , but Seattle answered shortly after to regain the lead before an empty-net goal sealed the victory.
Brendan Othmann also generated some early attention before his night ended following a big hit that resulted in a game misconduct.
Seattle opened the scoring 4:51 into the game after a Calgary turnover led to an odd-man rush. Logan Morrison found Ty Nelson in the high slot, and Nelson fired the puck past Devin Cooley to give the Kraken a 1-0 lead.
The Kraken extended that advantage later in the opening period.
Advertisement
With Seattle on the power play, Jagger Firkus found room and snapped a shot past Cooley at 9:23 to make it 2-0.
Calgary answered before the intermission.
Sam Honzek found Suniev in the high slot, and the young forward wasted little time getting his shot away. His wrist shot beat Philipp Grubauer cleanly, cutting Seattle's lead to 2-1.
The second period went without a goal, setting up an entertaining final frame.
Suniev struck again early in the third.
After carrying the puck across the blue line and creating some space, Suniev released another shot from the circle. The puck appeared to handcuff Niklas Kokko in net and found its way into the net, tying the game at 2-2.
Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
The deadlock didn't last long.
Advertisement
Seattle went back to the power play, and Morrison redirected a Tyson Jugnauth point shot past Cooley at 11:59 to put the Kraken back in front.
Jon-Randall Avon added an empty-net goal late to make it 4-2, which stood as the final.
The result won't mean much in the standings, but there were still some useful early impressions for the Flames to take from their first preseason outing.
Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Three Takeaways
1. Suniev's shot remains a problem for opposing goalies
If there was one player who consistently stood out offensively for Calgary, it was Suniev.
Both of his goals came from distance, and both showed the same weapon that has made his shot such an intriguing part of his game. He doesn't need much room to get the puck off his stick, and he showed good pace and creativity getting himself into shooting areas.
Advertisement
Just as encouraging was the rest of his game. Suniev kept his feet moving, created plays and was difficult to contain when he had the puck.
Two goals in the preseason opener obviously doesn't tell the entire story, but Suniev gave Calgary plenty to like.
2. Parekh and Kuznetsov make for an interesting pairing
Zayne Parekh was one of the more intriguing players to watch on the Calgary blue line, particularly alongside Yan Kuznetsov .
The two defenders bring very different elements to the pairing.
Parekh provides the mobility and offensive instincts, while Kuznetsov offers a more physical, dependable presence behind him. That combination could allow Parekh some freedom to use his skating and puck-moving ability without leaving the pairing without a safety net.
Advertisement
It's only one preseason game, but it's a combination worth keeping an eye on as camp continues.
Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
3. Cooley found his game as the night went on
It wasn't the cleanest start for Cooley.
Seattle capitalized on Calgary's early mistakes and found the net twice in the opening period, including a power-play goal. There were moments when the Flames needed a save early and didn't get it.
But Cooley settled down as the game progressed.
He made several important stops in the latter stages, including a strong glove save in the third period that kept Calgary within striking distance before Seattle eventually regained the lead.
Advertisement
The final numbers won't tell the entire story of his night. The important part for Cooley was how he responded after a difficult opening period, something we've seen from him before. He continued battling and finished the game much stronger than he started it.
