Rory Kerins shines as the Calgary Flames slay the Seattle Kraken 4-1

It was an amazing game to watch for Calgary Flames fans. The prospects looked impressive, and so did the regulars. Flames fans got a look into the present and the future of the organization in last night’s matchup. Some of the standout performers included Hunter Brzustewicz, Rory Kerins, Zayne Parekh, and Sam Morton. We also got to see Dustin Wolf get back in the net and a glimpse at prospect Owen Say when he relieved Wolf in the third.

The Flames opened their preseason with a pair of split-squad games against their provincial rivals, the Edmonton Oilers. Tuesday night, the Flames’ entire roster got to stay in Calgary when the Seattle Kraken visited the Scotiabank Saddledome.

What happened in the game between the Calgary Flames and Seattle Kraken?

Yegor Sharangovich is looking to bounce back after a disappointing campaign in which his goal total dropped by 14. His 17 goals were a cause for concern as Sharangovich signed a five-year $28.7M contract extension which kicked in this season. Well, Sharky started the fireworks for Calgary when he redirected a point shot from Brzustewicz.

Seattle answered just 1:34 later with Mitchell Stephens putting one past Dustin Wolf. The Flames kept the pressure cooking in the offensive zone for the remainder of the opening frame. Jonathan Huberdeau and Connor Zary both put shots on net that Phillip Grubauer was able to push away. Near the end of the first, Huberdeau and Matthew Coronato were close to scoring in a scramble in front of the net, but it was 1-1 after 20 minutes.

On their second power play, Calgary capitalized with Rory Kerins and Connor Zary making magic happen. Kerins rushed the puck up the ice; however, it took a couple of bounces and onto the stick of Zary. Zary sent the puck right back to Kerins, who was streaking towards the net and put the puck right above the shoulder of Grubauer.

As mentioned earlier, the pressure was mounting on Seattle, as the Flames were doing something they rarely did last season. They were creating scoring chances.

After the second, Ryan Huska made a goaltending change, putting in Owen Say and resting Calder runner-up Dustin Wolf. Wolf finished his night, making 12 saves on 13 shots. Say went 7-7 in his 20 minutes of play.

42 seconds into the final frame, Morgan Frost continued his strong preseason showing, also looking to bounce back this year. He took the puck out of the corner and made a difficult cross-crease pass over to Matt Coronato. The puck sifted past three Kraken defenders, giving Coronato an open scoring opportunity.

Then, in the final stretch of the third, Sam Morton put the icing on the cake, scoring Calgary’s fourth of the night. Morton built upon his NHL debut back in April and continues to make a case for himself to make the opening night roster.

Here are some key takeaways from Calgary’s third preseason game.

Rory Kerins and the fight for a roster spot

Rory Kerins was one of the premier players on the ice from either team. A goal and an assist for a multi-point night, there was more to his game than just what was on the statsheet. He improved his speed, being “a step quicker” according to Ryan Huska. He was responsible in his own zone, and he found his way to the right place at the right time.

The 23-year-old was one of the premier youngsters in the AHL last year and earned himself a trial run with the big team. While many were impressed, he was subsequently sent back down once the Flames regained their injured players. Kerins plays centre; he played centre last night and sees himself as a natural centre. The middle of the ice is something that Calgary must address, and Kerins has shown he can provide value there. If he wants to begin with the Flames rather than the Calgary Wranglers, he has to continue to play like he did yesterday.

Zayne Parekh: QB1

For the first time, we saw Zayne Parekh quarterbacking the first power play unit. Parekh used a combination of his extensive hockey IQ and overall offensive capabilities to create chances in the offensive zone. He wasn’t able to register a point on the power play; however, he made multiple plays that led to grade A chances. He was everything that Flames fans were hoping for and more.