LDN - Sports

Froese leads Canadiens to win over Flames

[December 23, 2017] CALGARY, Alberta -- Byron Froese scored his first goal of the season and also had an assist as the Montreal Canadiens edged the Calgary Flames 3-2 on Friday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Nicolas Deslauriers and Brendan Gallagher also scored for the Canadiens (16-15-4), who have won two straight games and three of their past four.

Making his 12th straight start in net for Montreal, Carey Price made 21 saves to improve his record to 11-10-2.

Micheal Ferland and Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Flames (18-15-3), while goalie Mike Smith finished with 32 saves.

Price stood his ground to stop an attempt off the stick of Mikael Backlund 36 seconds into the game before TJ Brodie picked up the rebound in the slot and rang a shot off the post.

Montreal appeared to score 16 seconds later when Max Pacioretty cut around Brodie before backhanding a shot past Smith. The goal was subsequently waived off after video review showed that Paul Byron was just offside on the play.

The Canadiens opened the scoring at 10:45 when Froese redirected Jordie Benn's point shot past Smith. It was Froese's first goal in his past 33 games dating back to Feb. 20, 2016, when he was playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Deslauriers scored his fourth goal of the season at 8:44 of the middle frame when he drove hard to the net to backhand a shot out of mid-air past Smith, who stopped the initial shot by Froese.

Gallagher extended Montreal's lead to 3-0 at 3:10 of the third when he swatted his own rebound past Smith.

Ferland then ruined Price's shut-out bid at 9:42. After a shot by Michael Frolik hit the post, the puck bounced right to Ferland, who quickly swatted it past Price.

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Canadiens center Byron Froese (42) controls the puck against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Tkachuk pulled Calgary within one thanks to a power-play goal with 1:53 left in regulation, but the Flames weren't able to notch the equalizer before time expired.

NOTES: Due to a lower-body injury he sustained late in the first period of Calgary's 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues, Flames D Travis Hamonic was placed on injured reserve on Friday and D Rasmus Andersson was recalled from the AHL's Stockton Heat. ... Flames RW Jaromir Jagr missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury, while Andersson and C Curtis Lazar were Calgary's other scratches. ... Canadiens D Shea Weber missed his second straight game with a foot injury, while D Brent Lernout was recalled from the AHL's Laval Rocket on Wednesday. ... Montreal scratched Lernout, LW Charles Hudon and LW Jacob de la Rose. ... LW Artturi Lehkonen returned to Montreal's lineup after missing the past 16 games with a lower-body injury and had an assist on Gallagher's goal. ...Alex Galchenyuk drew an assist on Froese's goal to give him nine points (three goals, six assists) in his past eight games.

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