TOFFOLI, ALLEN PROPEL HABS
Nab crucial 2-1 victory over Flames
It was another night when goaltender Jake Allen could have used more offensive support from his teammates. For once, it didn't matter.
Tyler Toffoli scored both Montreal goals, including the winner at 15:45 of the third period, carrying the Canadiens to a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames Friday night at the Bell Centre. Toffoli now has 21 goals this season.
It was a much-needed win for Montreal (19-13-9), which opened a six-point lead on Calgary (19-223) for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division. The Canadiens also hold three games in hand. The teams meet three more times in Calgary, beginning next Friday.
Allen, playing his sixth consecutive game for the injured Carey Price, made 28 saves and recorded only his third win in his last 13 starts.
On the winning goal, Joel Armia beat Christopher Tanev to a loose puck in the corner and sent it in front, where Toffoli deflected beyond goalie Jacob Markstrom
Toffoli opened the scoring for the Canadiens just before the midway point of the second period, before Elias Lindholm tied the score at 6:30 of the third period.
Lindholm scored on a backhand from his knees that was going wide, only to deflect off the skates of defenceman Ben Chiarot, who returned to the Canadiens lineup ahead of schedule. Chiarot missed 15 games after fracturing his hand in a fight. He also was playing his 400th career NHL game.
After a listless loss on Wednesday, you would have expected Montreal to come out with a sense of urgency Friday night. But that message must have been lost on the Canadiens, who went more than four minutes before directing their first shot at Markstrom. By that juncture, the visitors had already fired five pucks on Allen.
Although the Flames failed to generate a shot for more than seven minutes after that, Calgary still played a thorough period on the road, limiting the Canadiens to six shots.
In the eighth minute of the second period, a sprawling Allen somehow managed to get his stick on a Lindholm scoring opportunity as he and Matthew Tkachuk were challenging around the net.
The opening goal of the game finally came at 9:32 of the period. Centre Nick Suzuki controlled the puck, skating around the back of the net, before delivering a pass in the slot to Toffoli. And the sniper doesn't miss from there, beating Markstrom to the glove side for his 20th goal of the season.
Meanwhile, the goal posts proved to be Allen's best friend, with Rasmus Andersson, Johnny Gaudreau and Tkachuk each hitting the iron.
The Canadiens complete their six-game homestand with a rare Saturday afternoon (4 p.m.) encounter against the Ottawa Senators. While the Senators are last in the division, they've played Montreal tough this season and produced a 6-3 victory at the Bell Centre two weeks ago.