Calgary, AB – Curtis Glencross scored the game-winning goal 4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Jarome Iginla scored twice, while Mark Giordano had a goal and an assist and David Moss also scored for the Flames, who snapped a two-game skid. Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 24 shots in the win.
With the victory, the Flames moved to within two points of the Los Angeles Kings, who defeated the Nashville Predators earlier on Tuesday, for the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference.
Max Pacioretty scored a pair of goals, while Lars Eller had a goal and a helper and Tomas Plekanec also lit the lamp for the Canadiens, who have dropped two straight and seven of their last eight contests. Carey Price was tagged for all five goals on 34 shots in defeat.
Glencross' eventual winner came at the 7:16 mark of the third period as a result of a lazy pass in the defensive zone by Montreal.
Following a dump-in, Price came out of his net to play the puck, but he didn't see Glencross, who easily picked it off and fired it into the open net to give the Flames a seemingly comfortable 5-2 advantage.
But, the pesky Canadiens would not go down quietly as they scored the next two goals to make it interesting in the final minutes.
Eller made it a two-goal game at 8:57 of the final stanza when he battled for a loose puck in the slot, and was knocked down, but still fired the it through Kiprusoff from his knees.
Pacioretty collected his second goal of the game at 12:06 after he beat the Flames' netminder with a deft backhander. Montreal pulled Price with just over a minute to play but could not find an equalizing goal.
The Flames struck first midway though the opening period after Giordano fired a slap shot from the point that was deflected past Price by Moss, who provided a perfect screen on the Montreal netminder.
Calgary extended its lead to 2-0 just over two minutes later off a fantastic bit of skill by Iginla. He picked up the puck deep in the offensive zone on the left wing, shifted to his backhand and cut to the slot before beating Price with a forehand wrister.
Skating on the power play, Yannick Weber fired a slap shot from the left point that was kicked out by Kiprusoff, but the puck came right to Eller, who dropped it back to Plekanec and he slammed it home to make it 2-1 with just four seconds left on the first period clock.
Montreal tied the game at two 9:28 into the second frame when Pacioretty snuck one past Kiprusoff, but the Flames regained their two-goal edge with the next two scores to take a 4-2 lead.
Calgary took a 3-2 lead at 13:44 of the second period with some excellent passing off the rush.
Olli Jokinen gained the blue line on the left wing and found Glencross in the slot. Glencross then neatly dropped it back to an onrushing Giordano, who walked into a booming slap shot that whizzed past Price.
The Flames made it 4-2 with 1:18 left in the second period when Iginla glided into the offensive zone on the right wing and fired a shot that was blocked out high. The Flames' captain collected his own rebound, brought the puck around behind the net and stuffed a wrap-around attempt past Price, who had taken his right skate off the post.
Game Notes
Glencross extended his goal scoring streak to five straight games...Flames forward Tim Jackman left the game in the second period after taking a hard hit from Montreal defenseman Alexei Emelin...Montreal went 1-for-2 with the man advantage, while the Flames failed to score on two power-play chances.
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