5 Things - Flames vs. Kraken

1. Wolf's Pack

It's Dustin Wolf's crease. 

No doubt about it.

The Flames' No.-1 netminder came on in relief Wednesday, and is primed to take the reins again this evening as Calgary begins a difficult back-to-back set against Seattle at the Scotiabank Saddledome. GET TICKETS

That record-scratch moment that took place at the start of the second period Wednesday involved Wolf assuming crease duties, after Devin Cooley was forced out of his fifth straight start following a crease collision with Edmonton's Colton Dach. Pressed into action, Wolf stopped 20 of 23 shots, his best coming in the form of a low-slot robbery when Oilers star Leon Draisaitl found just enough time and space to release a dangerous effort late in the second period. 

"(A) back-to-back, coming up with tougher travel, so we'll have to see how things go here," Head Coach Ryan Huska said of the 48 hours ahead. "Then we'll be able to make the call as to who's going to play for us (Saturday) in Colorado."

But Wolf is ready to handle a heavy workload if need be.

After all, he's done it his entire career.

Huska did not have an update Thursday on Cooley's lower-body ailment. Arsenii Sergeev - the de facto No. 1 with the AHL's Wranglers - made 36 saves Thursday in Calgary's 4-2 victory over Laval.

Even though Wolf has not started a game in more than two weeks, Huska notes his netminder has been far from idle, adding his confidence in Wolf has never waned.

"He's a terrific young goaltender, and having this time while Devin was on the heater gives him an opportunity to kind of refocus and settle himself again," Huska said. "He got put in a tough situation (in Edmonton), And I thought he just got better and better with every minute that went by.

"He's going to get a chance to go now and we're expecting him to be our best player."

But as with just about every situation thrust before them, these Flames are sure to continue adopting their 'One Game At A Time' mentality. 

And make no mistake, this particular game offers a shot at redemption. 

Seattle scored a pair of 6-1 wins over Calgary at the start of October, and for Huska, Friday's game offers his group a chance to give the Kraken a more accurate reflection of what Flames hockey is all about.

"We're playing a much better brand of hockey right now," Huska explained. "Seattle's done a good job all year, the way they played the game, but I feel like we're at a better place now than what we were. So I think our group is looking forward to playing (Friday).

"And again, our crowd had almost been outstanding. That's one thing, too. It's been a lot of fun to play in this building. We know we're a better team than what we showed our first two games of the year."

2. Know Your Enemy

The Kraken arrive in Calgary for the first of a home-and-home set with the Flames following a see-saw, 5-4 victory over the Maple Leafs Wednesday at Climate Pledge Arena. 

Seattle held a two-goal lead in the third period, only to see it erased by a pair of Toronto markers, before defenceman Brandon Montour slapped home the winner with 32.7 seconds remaining in the third period. 

The game marked the third time in the past four games that the Kraken have blown a multi-goal lead in the third period, but Seattle holds an 8-0-0 record this season when leading a contest by two goals or more at any point. 

"It was a low-event hockey game, and that's not a bad thing for us,” Kraken coach Lane Lambert told reporters post-game. "So I thought we generated some chances, but I thought we kept it low-event for a reason.

"They've got some dynamic players over there, and 5-on-5, we were the better hockey team."

At 8-4-1 on the season, Seattle enters play Friday sitting in third place in the Pacific Division, and they've spread out the offence to start the year, too. Ten Kraken skaters head into the weekend with three or more goals on the campaign (Freddy Gaudreau is the high man with six), though one of the 10 - Jared McCann - will miss Friday's game due to injury.

Montour leads the team in scoring over the past two weeks with three goals and five points.

The Kraken will be eager to build on their early start, too. Including Friday's game, Seattle has just three more contests remaining before they head overseas to Finland for a twin bill with Carolina Nov. 12 and 14.

3. Huby Dooby Doo

Among the handful of players on the ice Thursday was veteran forward Jonathan Huberdeau, who took part in his second team skate inside a week while wearing a yellow non-contact sweater.

Huberdeau has not dressed for a game since Feb. 4, and has spent the past eight months recovering from hip surgery.

And while Head Coach Ryan Huska did not allude to a timeline as to when Huberdeau might once again be available for selection, he did reflect on what the 33-year-old's presence has meant to the group.

"He's here every day, and he's typically the first guy here now, and he's always one of the last guys to leave. So he has been around. His presence has been here," the bench boss explained. "It's nice for the players to be able to see him again on the ice with them. That's one thing that I would say. And maybe more so because the players want to see him back, happy and healthy and feeling good again.

"I think it's kind of a two-way street that both are feeding off of each other a little bit right now."

4. Saddle Stories

As one of the NHL's newest teams, the Kraken don't have a long history of visiting the Scotiabank Saddledome. Their first trip to Calgary for a regular-season contest came Feb. 19, 2022, when Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk each had a goal and an assist to help the Flames to a 2-1 victory.

With a win Friday, Calgary will finish with a .500 record all-time at the 'Dome against Seattle, as the Flames enter play 4-5-1 all-time on home ice versus the Kraken.

But the state of Washington - or at least, a WHL team from it - was front and centre for a championship moment beneath the Saddle 16 years ago. The Calgary Hitmen knocked off the Tri-City Americans in five games, winning the decider May 7, 2010 in front of more than 15,000 fans inside the 'Dome.

5. Players To Watch