Just the Facts
The Time: 7:00 pm PT / 10:00 pm ET
The Place: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
Where to Watch: Root Sports NW (ESPN+ and Sportsnet+ for out-of-market fans)
Where to Listen: KJR 93.3 FM
An Opposing Viewpoint: Red Mile Hockey
Know Your Enemy
If I had to sum up the first ten games of the Calgary Flames’ season in one word, it would be this: yikes. While the Kraken certainly didn’t have an October to write home about, the Flames would be better off burning all the tape and starting afresh. Their record so far is 2-7-1, and they are currently riding a six-game losing streak. The only thing keeping Calgary from being dead last in the NHL is the fact that the San Jose Sharks still haven’t won a single game. The Flames at least still seem able to find fun where they can, as shown by the entire team showing up to the Heritage Classic last Sunday in denim overalls, cowboy hats and not much else. I have to tip my hat to a commitment to a theme.
With their record, the Flames don’t have too many players to single out as threats, but there are still some names to generally keep an eye out for.
Elias Lindholm currently leads the Flames in points (eight), while Andrew Mangiapane leads them in goals (four). Over the past few games, though, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar has been chipping in with assists to drive the goals for the Flames. Look for these three to be generating a lot of offensive momentum for Calgary.
Of more personal note for Kraken fans, the Flames have Brandon Tanev’s brother, Chris, on the roster. Brandon’s injury continues to keep him out of the lineup, so this round of Kraken vs Flames isn’t exactly a sibling rivalry game, but bragging rights are surely still on the line between the two of them. Beyond the sibling connection, Chris Tanev is also a quietly good shutdown defenseman. I’m not sure he always gets the credit he deserves outside of the Flames fanbase for holding down their blue line. You won’t see many flashy highlights from him, but his statistical impact on the team cannot be ignored.
Underestimate a team at your own risk, but the Flames certainly don’t look like a threat to the Kraken’s hope to climb back up in the Pacific Division.
Game Preview
The Kraken are slowly but surely building steam back up. The offense still isn’t as consistent as it could be, but goals are starting to happen at a more regular pace. The hope would be that facing a team that’s been struggling to generate any sense of footing would help unlock more goal scoring across the board.
The Kraken certainly have Jared McCann to thank right now for carrying the offense so far. With six goals, he leads the team, and he’s especially been on fire over the past few games. Every day, I am grateful that Pittsburgh and Toronto combined efforts in such a way to let the Kraken nab McCann in the expansion draft.
The offense can’t only be generated from McCann (though I’m not gonna complain if he wants to try to shoot his way up in the standings in the Rocket Richard race). So, my random prediction for this game: goals from both Kailer Yamamoto and Matty Beniers. Why these two? Yamamoto scored twice against the Flames during his preseason game against them, and I wouldn’t put it past the former Oiler to still have an extra incentive to play well against Calgary. As for Beniers, he’s due to score his first of the season, and potting one in against a struggling team seems as good a time as any to break through. The team is also playing the day before Beniers’ 21st birthday, so I’d say he deserves a goal.
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