In Calgary, the Montreal Canadiens avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the Flames on Monday night, with a 2-1 win.
Jake Allen made 21 saves and the Habs pushed their lead back to six points over the Flames.
Elias Lindholm scored the Flames’ lone goal.
“Usually in a 2-1 game, the team with the lead really protects really well, protects the house,” Flames head coach Darryl Sutter said. “I think we had opportunities … I think we hit the post to tie it up. Those are like playoff games, to be quite honest with you.”
Shea Weber gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead in the first period.
“It’s big,”Weber said. “Obviously [we] haven’t had much success against them the past two weeks, but there’s still a lot of work left to do. That was a step in the right direction. [It] gives us a little bit more breathing room. Definitely have to keep going.”
Lindholm tied it in the first period.
“We needed this win,” Lindholm said. “We put [ourselves] in a tough position here, but as long as there’s hope we’ve got to keep pushing and keep grinding. Obviously, it [stinks]. We’d like to have this one back.”
The game-winner came from Tyler Toffoli who potted his 25th of the season with less than two minutes to go in the middle frame.
“I think we’re all kind of expecting to score the big goals, and that’s what everybody wants to do,” Toffoli said. “Things have just been going my way right now. I know other guys that are just waiting to step up and having some really good opportunities and some good looks. We’re pushing it and we’re trying to find ways here.”
Jacob Markstrom made 22 saves in the loss.
“There’s no question we all want it,” Markstrom said. “We all want it bad. It’s such small coincidences and small margins from being really successful. I feel like we’ve been on the wrong side of that way too many times this season.
“Overall this season I feel like we’ve been on the wrong end, but the belief is there. The guys want it. The guys are [ticked] off. We don’t like to lose.”
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