A change of scenery has done wonders for Mike Smith of the Calgary Flames; Smith made 30 saves in a tight, 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals Sunday night in Calgary.
Sean Monahan scored the game-winner midway through the final frame.
“That’s Johnny,” said Monahan, whose six goals lead Calgary. “We see it day in, day out. He’s got great hands and he’s got quick feet. He reads the game better than anyone I know. If you get open in a quiet area, you’re usually going to find the puck. It showed again tonight.”
Micheal Ferland also struck for the Flames who got back to .500 hockey at 6-6-0.
“Any win feels good, but especially right now at home, it was the one that we needed the most,” Monahan said.
The Caps fell to 5-6-1 on the campaign and their lone goal came from Jakub Vrana .
“That’s a huge loss for us,” center Evgeny Kuznetsov said. “At least we have to take one point today, but we didn’t.”
Johnny Gaudreau had two assists in the win.
“I think it’s a big win for us. We’ve struggled the past few games here. We’ve been playing well but haven’t been finishing the games off. Tonight, they tied it up but we played well in the third, found a way to get the game-winner there. It’s just a good effort from everyone,” Gaudreau said after the win.
WATCH: All Capitals vs. Flames highlights
Philipp Grubauer made 36 savesin taking the loss.
“We gave up a lot of chances but also we created a lot of chances. I think overall it’s been a decent game for us. I think things are coming together and the groove is coming together a little bit closer and closer each game, and I think you see it on the ice,” Grubauer said after taking the loss.
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