After some disappointing results despite good performances during a long stay at home, the Canadian was finally rewarded.
Nick Suzuki scored on the power play with 7:52 left in the third period and the Montreal squad defeated the Calgary Flames 4-2 Thursday night at the Bell Center.
Suzuki played lucky to score his fourth goal of the season. He managed to ricochet the disc against the inside of goalie Jacob Markstrom’s pad, before seeing him cross the goal line.
The Canadian thus ended a series of three defeats (0-2-1). He ended his five-game home stay with a 2-2-1 record.
“These five games haven’t been perfect, but I like our progress, where we’re headed,” said Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme. Now we have to be consistent to get back into the race and give ourselves a chance. “
Brendan Gallagher amassed a goal and an assist, while Ben Chiarot and Jake Evans, in an empty net, also hit the target for the Habs. Mike Hoffman and Tyler Toffoli each had two assists and Jake Allen turned back 24 shots.
Suzuki also collected an assist. He has four goals and five assists in his last five meetings.
“He’s a competitive guy who likes this kind of challenge. We can see him, he’s in a good streak after a slower start, ”said Ducharme.
“He cares about the team’s success and wants to make a difference. “
Mikael Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane replied for the Flames, who have only one victory in their last five outings (1-2-2). Markstrom stopped 24 shots.
Recalled the day before the Laval Rocket, Ryan Poehling was in uniform for the Canadian relieving Cédric Paquette, injured Tuesday in the 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
The Canadian will play two away games this weekend. He will visit the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday and then the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
The last word at CH
The Canadian quickly found himself behind in the scoring, as the Flames hit home after just 2:01 of play. Backlund deflected a long shot from Trevor Lewis behind Allen.
The Habs, however, replied at 9:26 of the first twenty. Chiarot left his post at the forefront to advance near the net. This allowed him to push a loose puck behind the goal line.
The Flames regained the lead before the end of the period, with 3:38 left. Mangiapane scored from the back after a three-on-two attack from the visitors.
The second period was pretty quiet until Gallagher tied the game at 11:24 on the power play. Gallagher took advantage of a free puck behind Markstrom after he deflected a Chris Wideman pitch against the post.
A scrum erupted during the celebrations, as Flames defenseman Erik Gudbranson knocked down Gallagher late after missing his cover. Toffoli was also punished for avenging his teammate by double-checking Gudbranson.
The Flames had the best odds four-on-four, but they didn’t beat Allen.
The Habs goaltender was vigilant during a Flames power play late in the second period. He made a tough save on a close range shot from Johnny Gaudreau.
Suzuki finally gave the Canadian a first lead in the game at 12:08 of the final third.
Joel Armia and Hoffman screwed up great opportunities to widen the gap before the Flames increased the pressure. Evans closed the books by scoring in an empty net with 6.2 seconds left.
Cloakroom echoes
David Savard was happy after another effective defensive game.
“We keep it simple. We stopped passing side to side which led to a lot of turnovers. This is what hurt us. Tonight we made some good decisions with the puck. “
Nick Suzuki had the last laugh against Jacob Markstrom, whom he had tried to outmaneuver earlier in the match from the height of the goal line.
“He said a few words to me after the first attempt. He had said it wouldn’t work. He gave me a pat a few hits after the second time worked. He was probably angry that the second had returned. “
Michael Pezzetta has underlined Nick Suzuki’s brilliance in recent matches.
“He brings a lot of energy with his style of play. He creates chances and makes big plays. When you’re back in the scoring, or when it’s 2-2 like tonight, you’re going to look to him to make a big play. That’s exactly what he did tonight. “