Flames inch closer

The Montreal Canadiens are doing their utmost to make some excitement in the closing days of the season.

Not for their fans, but for their opposition’s fans in Calgary.

On Saturday night, the Flames moved even closer to the Habs in the standings with a 5-2 win on home ice.

Jacob Markstrom made 30 saves to get the win.

Johnny Gaudreau scored twice as the Flames moved to within four points of the fourth spot in the North.

“Every game is important the remainder of the season here, especially against this team,” Gaudreau said.

“If we take care of ourselves and we keep playing the way we’ve been playing the past few games, I think we’ve got a real good shot to make a push here.”

The teams meet again on Monday.

“Every time you lose a game it’s frustrating,” Montreal’s Jeff Petry said. “I can’t tell you an exact number on a scale, but it is frustrating knowing the situation we’re in and the way we’re playing. We have to find a way to battle this out together.”

Tyler Toffoli and Nick Suzuki were the Canadiens’ strikers.

“It’s that time of the year,” Toffoli said. “I think everybody knew that it was going to come down to certain teams fighting for positions. It’s not just us fighting for position. It’s teams fighting for first and second and third. We’ve got to find a way. We’ve got to regroup. Monday is a big match.”

After an even first period, 1-1, Milan Lucic  scored for a 2-1 lead to the Flames and Gaudreau  made it 3-1.

Toffoli tightened the game up before the end of the middle frame to make it 3-2 heading to the third.

Brett Ritchie scored early in the third period to give the Flames a bit more breathing room.

Rasmus Andersson added an empty-net goal to ice.

Cayden Primeau made 29 saves in the loss, it was his first NHL start.

“We win the next game and it’s six points (up on Calgary) and we go from there,” Petry said. “We control our own destiny. Our fate is in our hands. We play and we execute and get the wins, it’s in our hands.”