HABS FLAT IN LOSS TO FLAMES
Calgary now only 4 points back
The Canadiens were in a position to be the hammer Wednesday night. Instead, they became the nail.
With five games in 13 nights against the Calgary Flames, the Canadiens can assume control of the fourth, and final, playoff position in the North Division. Instead, the Canadiens remain the hunted for now.
A desperate Flames team defeated Montreal 4-1 at the Bell Centre in a critical game for both squads. The victory pulled Calgary to within four points of the Canadiens, who still hold three games in hand. In other words, it remains a tall order for the Flames to overtake Montreal, but they have some life.
A pair of defencemen, Noah Hanifin and captain Mark Giordano, staked the Flames to a 2-0 lead before Josh Leivo added an insurance goal nearly 13 minutes into the third period. Sean Monahan scored into an empty net.
Defenceman Brett Kulak, with his first goal in more than two years, was the only Canadien to beat Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
The Flames now have won four of five games against Montreal this season, the Canadiens held to seven goals in the process.
The teams meet again Friday night at the Bell Centre in a rare 6 p.m. start.
The game marked the return of Canadiens winger Joel Armia, who missed eight contests, dating back to March 20, after being put on the NHL'S COVID-19 protocol list. It also marked the fifth consecutive game for goaltender Jake Allen, replacing the injured Carey Price.
Although the Flames were playing their second game in 24 hours — having defeated Toronto in overtime on the road Tuesday — it was the Canadiens who appeared lethargic through the opening 30 minutes.
Calgary dictated the pace from the opening faceoff, won the majority of the faceoffs and clogged the neutral zone — although it was Montreal which had the first scoring opportunity in the opening minute. Josh Anderson's shot, after a cross-ice pass from Jonathan Drouin, hit the crossbar.
The visitors opened the scoring less than four minutes into the game. Mikael Backlund won the offensive zone faceoff against Nick Suzuki and dropped it back to the point, from where Hanifin beat Allen high to the glove side.
Calgary enjoyed a 7-2 advantage in shots through the opening five minutes and outshot the Canadiens 12-8 in the period. Montreal won only three of 10 defensive-zone faceoffs in the period.
The Flames took a two-goal lead 29 seconds into the second. Giordano's shot from the point went through traffic, beating Allen low to the stick side. Also in the opening minute of play, Tyler Toffoli tipped an Anderson shot off the post.
Montreal went nearly five minutes before generating its first shot in the middle frame.
Kulak finally ended Markstrom's shutout bid at 10:55 of the period. Drouin, an outstanding playmaker who is struggling to score this season, delivered a deft pass to the rushing defenceman who broke in alone and found a small opening on the stick side.
It was Kulak's first goal since March 28, 2019 — a stretch of 95 games and 748 days.
At one point late in the period the Flames had won 75 per cent of the offensive faceoffs in the game.
A poor pass by captain Shea Weber led to the Leivo goal. And it was another night in which the Canadiens' power play fired blanks, failing to capitalize on two manpower advantages.