Nick Suzuki scored a go-ahead goal with 7:52 remaining in the third period to fuel the host Montreal Canadiens to a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher joined Suzuki with a goal and an assist, and Jake Evans and defenseman Ben Chiarot also tallied. Mike Hoffman and Tyler Toffoli each notched a pair of assists, and Jake Allen finished with 24 saves for the Canadiens, who snapped a three-game losing skid to conclude their five-game homestand.
Andrew Mangiapane scored his team-leading ninth goal and Mikael Backlund also tallied for the Flames, who have lost two in a row in regulation on the heels of a 10-game point streak (7-0-3).
Calgary dropped the opener of a season-high seven-game road trip to fall to 7-1-0 against Eastern Conference foes this season.
Montreal took advantage of Mangiapane serving an interference penalty to record a 3-2 lead following its second power-play goal of the evening. Suzuki shrewdly banked a sharp-angle shot from behind the goal line off Jacob Markstrom (24 saves) and into the net for his team-high-tying fourth goal of the season.
Evans sealed the win by scoring into the empty net with six seconds to play.
In the first period, Mangiapane deftly settled a cross-ice pass from Sean Monahan by kicking the puck from his skate to his blade before backhanding a shot from his knees past Allen. Mangiapane’s goal, which was his second in as many games and eighth on the road, gave Calgary a 2-1 lead with 3:38 remaining in the first period.
Gallagher cleaned up a loose puck in the crease before being leveled by defenseman Erik Gudbranson to forge a 2-2 tie with 8:36 remaining in the second period. The goal was Gallagher’s third of the season.
Defenseman Trevor Lewis wired a shot from the point that Backlund deflected past Allen to open the scoring just 2:02 into the game. Backlund’s goal was his third of the season.
Chiarot answered by alertly tapping home a loose puck in the crease to even the contest at 9:26 of the first period. His goal was his second in as many games and fourth of the season.
–Field Level Media
