Youngsters lead Flames over Coyotes
Flames can clinch playoff spot with win over Kings Thursday
Sean Monahan's 31st goal of the season halfway through the third period was the winner as the Calgary Flames picked up two important points with a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night.
The 20-year-old sophomore carried the puck up ice and into the Coyotes zone and after hitting the brakes in the slot, whipped a shot past Mike Smith.
The goal came less than two minutes after Arizona capitalized on a dreadful mistake by Flames goaltender Jonas Hiller to tie it.
Out of his net to play the puck near the corner. Hiller lost the puck to Kyle Chipchura, who set up Craig Cunningham in front for an empty net.
David Jones and Johnny Gaudreau also scored for Calgary (44-29-7), which swept the five-game season series by a combined score of 20-8.
B.J. Crombeen scored the other goal for the Coyotes (24-48-8).
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COYOTES?src=hash">#COYOTES</a> CRUSHED! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash">#Flames</a> win 3-2! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ARIvsCGY?src=hash">#ARIvsCGY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NeverQuit?src=hash">#NeverQuit</a> <a href="http://t.co/x4aQkPlTPe">pic.twitter.com/x4aQkPlTPe</a>
—@NHLFlamesDethroning the Kings
The win gives the Flames a chance to clinch their first trip to the post-season in six years on Thursday night when they play Los Angeles. Calgary could eliminate the defending Stanley Cup champions with a regulation time win.
The Kings, playing Tuesday night in Edmonton, opened the night tied in points with the Flames. But a 4-2 loss to the Oilers allowed the Flames to take a two point lead in the race for the playoffs.
Both teams have two games remaining but Calgary has the tiebreaker should they finish even in points.
Tied 1-1 after 40 minutes, the Flames took the lead 1:13 into the third when Jones went hard to the net and hammered in a rebound of a Michael Ferland shot.
Despite his one mistake, Hiller mixed in some clutch saves in the third including a big glove save off Cunningham.
Despite an 18-7 edge in shots in the first period, Calgary emerged with only a 1-0 lead. The Coyotes played a much better second period and eventually tied the game at 17:09 when Crombeen's shot deflected off the jersey of Wideman and fluttered past Hiller.
The weird goal was only Crombeen's third of the season in 56 games.
Gaudreau opened the scoring when he was set up by Wideman and one-timed a shot inside the near post before Smith could slide across.
Gaudreau's 62nd point moves him one point ahead of Nashville's Filip Forsberg for the NHL rookie scoring lead.
The Flames lost Lance Bouma (upper body) late in the second period after he appeared to get shaken up blocking a rising slapshot from Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Arizona captain Shane Doan (lower body) also did not play in the third period.
Notes:
ith 23 goals, Gaudreau has the most goals by a Flames rookie since Paul Ranheim (26) and Sergei Makarov (24) in 1989-90... Flames improve 21-6-1 against the Pacific Division... Sam Bennett was among the healthy scratches for the Flames. He has yet to make his NHL debut after joining Calgary last Saturday when his junior season ended in Kingston (OHL).