Two struggling clubs in need of a spark will meet Tuesday when the Calgary Flames visit the Montreal Canadiens.
After opening the season with points in six straight games (5-0-1), Calgary virtually erased that hot start with a 1-5-0 record its next six outings. The Flames’ latest setback was a 4-2 home loss to the rival Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.
Leon Draisaitl scored just 20 seconds into Sunday’s game, and the Flames found themselves trailing 2-0 after the first period. While Calgary fought back to even the score in the third period, a high-sticking penalty on Martin Pospisil led to Zach Hyman’s game-deciding power-play goal.
Pospisil described the penalty as “kind of bad luck,” though such a play “can’t happen, especially in a tie game. … Every game I try to be careful.”
It was another costly power-play concession for the Flames, who have a modest 72.5 percent penalty-kill percentage this season. The other side of the special teams equation hasn’t been much better, as Anthony Mantha’s goal Sunday snapped an 0-for-18 skid for the Calgary power-play unit.
Special teams had been a relative strength for the Canadiens for much of the season, though the Habs are just 1-for-12 on power plays and 8-for-13 on the penalty kill over their last three games. Unsurprisingly, Montreal is 0-3-0 in those contests, outscored by a 17-6 margin.
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis viewed Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins as at least “a step in the right direction” after the defensive breakdowns of the previous two games. Christian Dvorak scored early in the third period to make it a 2-1 game, and the Habs outshot Pittsburgh 11-3 in the final frame but couldn’t find another goal.
The Canadiens’ improved defense might have come at the expense of more consistent offensive pressure.
“We’ll find the balance, and I think we can execute more things without taking any risks,” St. Louis said.
The 4-7-1 Habs are tied for the second-fewest points in the NHL, ahead of only the San Jose Sharks in the league standings. Montreal already has both a four-game winless drought (0-3-1) and its current three-game losing streak within 12 games played.
Forward Juraj Slafkovsky left Saturday’s game late in the third period after a hit to the head, and he could be questionable for Tuesday’s lineup. Slafkovsky has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in nine games for Montreal this season.
Sam Montembeault has started eight of 12 games for the Canadiens and will likely get the nod in net again on Tuesday. Neither Montembeault or backup goalie Cayden Primeau have played particularly well, with Montembeault posting an .894 save percentage this season.
Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf rotated starts over Calgary’s first 10 games, but Vladar has started the last two games — he recorded a 22-save shutout of the New Jersey Devils on Friday, then 27 saves on 30 Oilers shots. Vladar may be pulling ahead in the competition to be the Flames’ regular starter, though Calgary might see if Wolf can get on track against the slumping Habs.
Rasmus Andersson leads the Flames with 11 points (four goals, seven assists).
Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens with 13 points (four goals, nine assists), and his next point will be the 300th of his NHL career.
