Berkly Catton was the spark Seattle needed, and Matty Beniers finished the job.
On a night when the Kraken unveiled a new forward in Matthew Wood and wore their new “Hometown Remix” jerseys, Seattle leaned on its young standout to drag the game into overtime and then watched Beniers end it 55 seconds in for a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames at Climate Pledge Arena.
Catton kept showing up in the biggest moments. He extended his points streak to seven games with a second-period blast on the rush that tied the score at 1-1, and he also had a dazzling first-period finish wiped out after Calgary’s successful offside challenge. Even on a night when that goal didn’t count, the play said plenty about what he was doing to the Flames.
The Kraken needed it because the rest of the group never looked fully in sync. Through two periods, Seattle had 14 giveaways to Calgary’s three, and the team was coming off Friday’s 6-2 loss to the same opponent - a game Lane Lambert called the worst effort since he became Kraken coach.
Still, the goaltenders turned it into a tight, tense fight. Joey Daccord stopped 28 shots for Seattle, while Dustin Wolf made 24 saves for Calgary. Both entered the night with rough early-season numbers, but they delivered a classic duel anyway.
Daccord had to be sharp in the third period to keep the Kraken alive. He turned away Joel Farabee on a breakaway, then later came up with a pad save on Simon Nemec after Nemec slipped behind the Seattle defense.
Calgary got on the board first when Yegor Sharangovich redirected a Zach Whitecloud shot from the right point between Daccord’s pads in the opening period.
Catton answered in the second. From the right circle dot, he snapped home his fifth goal past Wolf, with Kaapo Kakko picking up his 10th assist.
The winner came in overtime, and Brandon Montour deserves plenty of credit for making it happen. He broke up a crossing pass in the defensive zone, pushed the puck ahead to Beniers, and then helped clear the lane so no Flame could catch the breakaway.
“He makes a hell of a play breaking up that pass,” Beniers said in a postgame interview. “He’s a hell of a player.”
There was also some extra edge in the third period when Calgary agitator Martin Pospisil, who had already been whistled for goalie interference, ran into Daccord while the Seattle goalie played the puck behind the net. Daccord took a moment to get up but was fine, and Montour responded by shoving Pospisil to the ice. The Kraken then failed to capitalize on the resulting power play.
The night also included a few notable faces in the building. Seattle Sonics NBA legend Spencer Haywood led the pregame cheer, while Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez and new manager Jason Kanzler were also in attendance.
The Shane Wright trade led to changes across three forward lines. Wood skated with Chandler Stephenson and Freddy Gaudreau, Ben Meyers moved to center with Jani Nyman on his wing, and Kakko slid into Wright’s old spot alongside Catton and Mackie Samoskevich.
Seattle finished with a 29-26 edge in shots, and the Kraken went 0-for-3 on the power play while Calgary was 0-for-1.
The win sends Seattle into Saturday afternoon’s home game against the New York Rangers, who bring three former Kraken with them in Tye Kartye, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen. After that, the Kraken turn their attention to a two-game set against the Carolina Hurricanes in Helsinki, Finland.
In Other News...
Kraken Give Jagger Firkus A Real Chance To Force The Issue
The Kraken gave Jagger Firkus a fresh opportunity on the NHL roster, recalling the forward from AHL Coachella Valley as they shuffled their depth chart in the wake of Curtis Douglas landing on injured reserve. It is the kind of opening young players spend years trying to create, especially for a prospect Seattle has been tracking since drafting him in 2022 after strong showings in both the WHL and AHL.
Firkus now gets a chance to make his case in a setting that carries far more weight than anything in the minors, even if the door may not stay open long. Douglas move to injured reserve is expected to be temporary, which means Firkus has to make the most of whatever runway he gets and show the Kraken he can be more than a fill-in when the roster gets tight. [Read more 🡒]