Back from break, Kraken edge Flames behind Chris Driedger in goal
CALGARY, Alberta — Goaltender Chris Driedger got the nod in the Kraken net for the first time in nearly a season and a half on Wednesday night. He was on cleanup duty as the Kraken engaged in some sloppy defensive-zone play, but shoved past the Calgary Flames 2-1 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
He wasn’t exactly eased back into the fold. Calgary is one of four teams standing between Seattle and the second wild-card playoff spot in the West. They were tied with 33 points heading into Wednesday’s tilt, but the Flames have a game in-hand.
So, it was a matchup with playoff implications for the Kraken, who had gained at least one standings point in six straight games to inch back into the picture following an eight-game skid. In net for every minute of that resurgence was Joey Daccord, and it made sense that after a three-day, league-mandated break for Christmas, Daccord would pick up where he left off. Perhaps Driedger would start Friday against the Philadelphia Flyers, who are in the playoff hunt but not the Pacific Division.
Yet Driedger made 35 saves and was instrumental in pushing it to a seven-game point streak for the Kraken (13-14-9).
Driedger’s last NHL start was May 1, 2022, the final game of Seattle’s inaugural season. Driedger tore his ACL while representing Canada at the 2022 IIHF World Championships that summer, had surgery and missed first five months of the 2022-23 season.
After rehabbing his knee, he continued working his way back in the American Hockey League, going a combined 18-9-1 during the second half of the 2022-23 season and the start of the current one. He has a 2.20 goals-against average and .916 save percentage with two shutouts this AHL season.
His job backing up Philipp Grubauer first went to Martin Jones, then Daccord this fall out of training camp. Driedger was called up just before Thanksgiving while Grubauer was injured but didn’t appear in a game. Grubauer was hurt again Dec. 9, and after seven straight Daccord starts, it was Driedger’s turn.
Kailer Yamamoto and Alex Wennberg supplied the Kraken goals. Thirty-eight minutes had elapsed since the Flames’ tying goal when Wennberg suddenly sniped one in early in the third period. Jared McCann fed him from along the boards, and almost as soon as the puck found its way to Wennberg, it was in the Calgary net.
Vince Dunn had the impressive setup on Seattle’s first goal. While on one leg, twisting into the boards, about to absorb a hit from Calgary forward A.J. Greer, Dunn launched a nearly perfect pass across the ice to Yamamoto in stride. Five seconds later, the Kraken were up 1-0. Yamamoto had 100 open feet of ice between himself and the Calgary net and beat Jacob Markstrom low-blocker side.
Just seven seconds into the Flames’ first power play, a delay-of-game call against Brian Dumoulin, Jamie Oleksiak put a clearing attempt on the tape of Yegor Sharangovich and Driedger got stuck outside the crease when Sharangovich held on to the shot and dipped around the goaltender. Driedger dived backward while the puck pinballed around and Adam Larsson did what he could to block the cage, but Nazem Kadri put it in to tie the game at one.
That was one of several turnovers in dangerous areas. Sharangovich again found the puck on his stick in the slot, this time courtesy of Larsson, during the first minute of the third period. Driedger was squared up and made the save. He made a point-blank kick save on Blake Coleman a few minutes later.
Kadri tried another at the side of the net and Chris Tanev, Kraken forward Brandon’s older brother, sent another sailing through traffic. The latter looked like it changed direction. Driedger had the answers for both.
Later the Kraken had to kill off 10 seconds of 5-on-3 overlap between Will Borgen’s penalty and Jared McCann’s. Before Borgen could make his way over, Driedger had to slide across to deny Elias Lindholm at the back door, smacking the puck to safety with his stick.