Calgary Flames’ captain Mikael Backlund scored twice to achieve a profession milestone in a 5-2 win over the visiting Montreal Canadiens who have been with out head coach Martin St. Louis on Saturday.
Backlund scored his 199th and 2 hundredth profession objectives, and all of them with the Flames, to turn into the second Swedish-born skater in franchise historical past to hit 200 and be part of Kent Nilsson (229). The 35-year-old grew to become the eleventh participant in franchise historical past to achieve 200.
“I’ve put in a whole lot of work in my life to get to the NHL and to have the ability to rating 200 objectives, it’s very particular,” Backlund mentioned.
“I received shut there in early January scoring 196 and 197 or one thing like that. It appeared to take perpetually to get to 200, so it feels actually good to get it. Particular to get all of the objectives right here in Calgary, too. Some good firm right here within the group’s historical past.”
The centre additionally had an help for a three-point night time. Nazem Kadri had a aim and an help, and Martin Pospisil and Daniil Miromanov additionally scored for Calgary (33-29-5).
Calgary moved to 6 factors again of the idle Vegas Golden Knights holding down the Western Convention’s closing wild-card spot.
The Flames remained in distant playoff rivalry with 15 video games remaining of their common season, however they have been racing each the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues to supplant the Knights.
“Win our subsequent recreation, and truthfully, we’ve been that manner all yr lengthy,” Flames coach Ryan Huska mentioned. “If we will discover a technique to win our subsequent recreation, then we keep related, I assume you possibly can say.”
Dustin Wolf made 36 saves for his second straight win since Calgary’s No. 1 Jacob Markstrom was labelled day-to-day Tuesday with a lower-body harm.
Flames defenceman Mackenzie Weegar contributed three assists and winger Jonathan Huberdeau two.
David Savard and Cole Caufield scored for Montreal (25-31-11).
The Canadiens introduced simply over an hour earlier than puck drop that St. Louis will likely be absent from the group indefinitely due to household causes, and that assistant Trevor Letowski will function assistant coach.
“It’s an emotional time, there’s no query, however you simply need to dig in and simply grind it out,” Letowski mentioned after his NHL head-coaching debut on the Saddledome. “We have now a job to do to fill some huge footwear with Marty’s absence and tried every part we might to try this I feel.
“Being a former participant within the league, I might say, you lean on {that a} bit as a result of you possibly can’t be round this league, whether or not you’re in teaching or when you’re a participant with out, normally, fixed adversity and ups and downs. I believed we had dealt with it in addition to we might.”
Montreal’s beginning goalie Cayden Primeau turned away 23 of 28 photographs within the loss.
The Flames led 3-0 by 7:41 of the second interval, however the guests made it a one-goal recreation heading into third.
The hosts pulled away once more when Kadri and Miromanov scored within the first 4 minutes of the interval. Miromanov collected his second within the 5 video games since he was acquired from Vegas on the commerce deadline.
Kadri scored a power-play aim 61 seconds into the third. Montreal’s Savard made it a one-goal recreation with 95 seconds remaining within the second interval. Caufield put the Canadiens on the scoreboard at 10:34 together with his first aim since Feb. 15.
Backlund’s second of the sport 11 seconds into the interval was a straightforward tap-in. Primeau sprawled making an attempt to clear the puck, which left an open web for him to transform Blake Comeau’s backhand feed from behind the aim line.
The hosts have been outshot 15-9 within the opening interval, however emerged with a 1-0 lead. With 20 seconds remaining in Kaiden Guhle’s hooking penalty, Backlund tipped a Weegar shot by Primeau’s stick at 16:23.
LANNY LOVE
Former Calgary Flames captain Lanny McDonald obtained a standing ovation when the Saddledome’s video board panned to the Hockey Corridor of Famer standing and waving within the crowd.
It was the 71-year-old’s first look at a Flames recreation since a cardiac occasion he suffered in Calgary’s airport upon return from the NHL all-star recreation in Toronto.
“Tremendous-excited to see him again within the constructing,” Backlund mentioned. “I texted just a little bit with him when he was sick and never doing effectively. Good to see him recovering and again being out and about.
“I understand how a lot he means to this metropolis and this group.”
UP NEXT
Flames: Host the Washington Capitals on Monday.
Canadiens: Go to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
