The Calgary Flames had the right kind of start Thursday night in Seattle, but the finish slipped away.
Calgary dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena, even after building a two-goal cushion and carrying the edge for most of the night. Devin Cooley started in goal for the Flames and made his second preseason appearance.
The visitors struck first at 10:02 of the opening period. Dryden Hunt’s forecheck forced a turnover behind the Seattle net, Brennan Othmann collected the loose puck, and Jonathan Costagna finished the play for his first goal of the preseason past Philipp Grubauer.
Seattle answered late in the period. Jordan Eberle worked from the slot while getting knocked down and slipped the puck to Bobby McMann, who ripped a quick one-timer by Cooley to make it 1-1.
After 20 minutes, Calgary had the shot count tilted heavily in its favor, 14-6.
The Flames went back in front in the second period when Rory Kerins found space, took a feed from Alex Nylander and hammered a shot into the top corner for his first preseason goal. Later in the frame, Calgary’s physical edge turned into a man-advantage opportunity, and the Flames made Seattle pay on a 5-on-3.
Aydar Suniev took the puck in the high slot and snapped a wrist shot over Grubauer’s glove for his third goal in two preseason games and fourth in his last three, including the Next Gen rookie game.
The pace and edge kept building from there. Othmann delivered a heavy hit in the corner and then got a challenge from Ville Ottavainen. Seattle thought it had trimmed the deficit late in the period when Brandon Montour scored, but the goal was waved off for offside.
Calgary took a 3-1 lead and a 23-9 shot advantage into the third, but the Kraken kept coming. Montour got his real chance 1:26 into the final frame, jumping in from the blue line, taking a pass from Matty Beniers and beating Cooley with a wrist shot. Ryker Evans tied it at 7:31 with a drive down the left side and a shot into the top corner.
Neither team scored in overtime, and Seattle finished the comeback in the shootout when Berkly Catton netted the deciding goal.
Three things stood out for Calgary.
First, the Flames played with real bite. This was basically a Wranglers-heavy lineup against a more NHL-calibre Kraken group, but Calgary skated hard, played physical and kept pushing back whenever the game got chippy.
Second, Suniev kept his hot preseason going. His latest goal only strengthened the impression he’s making early in camp, with four goals over his last three appearances.
Third, Kerins gave himself something to build on. With limited preseason chances, his second-period goal mattered, and while it may not be enough on its own to lock down an NHL roster spot, it was the kind of performance that keeps him in the conversation.
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Mike Benning, Jake Livingstone, Dryden Hunt, Ben Jones, Rory Kerins, Sam Morton and William Stromgren all cleared waivers and were sent to the AHLs Calgary Wranglers, leaving the Flames with a clearer look at who stays in the big-league mix and who continues developing in the system. It is the kind of roster housekeeping that can pass quickly in the standings-driven grind of camp, but it also puts a spotlight on how thin the margin can be for depth players trying to hold onto NHL jobs. [Read more 🡒]