Flames Visual Recap 48: Calgary wins ninth straight, frustrate Giordano in his return

Looking to extend their league leading eight game winning streak, the Calgary Flames hosted former captain Mark Giordano and the Seattle Kraken in Saturday night action.

Game recap

The Flames honoured Giordano prior to puck drop with a touching video tribute, highlighting his illustrious history with the Flames. It was a major organizational shift when Giordano was left unprotected in the expansion draft and then subsequently drafted by the Kraken. The Flames have been without an active captain every since, and have relied on leadership by committee en route to leading the Pacific Division.

Giordano was noticeable every single time he was on the ice. He was making plays, breaking up passes, and dishing out hits every chance he had. It was clear that he wanted to have a big game and he was definitely one of the best Kraken skaters on the ice the whole night.

The Flames opened the scoring just three minutes into the contest. Matthew Tkachuk was left all alone in front of the net and he one-timed a pass from Elias Lindholm top shelf over Philipp Grubauer‘s shoulder.

Calle Jarnkrok answered back midway through the frame, capitalizing on a brutal turnover from Noah Hanifin who haphazardly put the puck right into the slot. The game was tied at one goal apiece heading into the first intermission.

Over the course of the Flames’ winning streak, they’ve looked like men among boys on the ice, but this game wasn’t like that. They outshot the Kraken the whole game, but it was a sloppier performance from the team. That being said, they did generate some absolutely gorgeous scoring chances, but Grubauer was at his absolute best and thwarted almost every single one the whole game.

Not to be undone, Jacob Markstrom also made some sensational saves, including an old-school two pad stack to keep the game tied. Finally, the Flames broke through off a quick Lindholm shot in the high slot. His goal extended his goal scoring streak to seven games, and gave the Flames a 2-1 lead midway through the third period.

The Kraken fought back as best as they could, but Markstrom and the Flames shut the door to eke out a 2-1 win. They extended their winning streak to nine games and kept pace in the Pacific on a night that saw the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks win.

Check out the data visualizations from the game below!