CALGARY — Sean Monahan had a goal and two assists for the Calgary Flames in a 4-2 win Friday over the visiting Montreal Canadiens.
Calgary’s Andrew Mangiapane had a goal and an assist.
Dillon Dube and Elias Lindholm with an empty-net goal also scored for the Flames (20-23-3), who are chasing Montreal for a playoff spot in the NHL’s North Division.
Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves for the win and is 5-1 against the Canadiens this season.
Tyler Toffoli and Joel Armia scored for the Canadiens (20-16-9), who lost a third game in their last five.
Jake Allen had 27 save in the loss.
The Canadiens hold down the fourth and final playoff berth in the division.
Calgary trails Montreal by six points and is at home to the Habs again Saturday and Monday at Scotiabank Saddledome.
The three-games-in-four-days series against the club they’re chasing will likely determine whether the Flames have a chance at the post-season or play out the string this season.
The Flames lead the nine-game season series with Montreal 5-2.
Calgary called off a morning skate saying a player tested positive for COVID-19, but no other players or staff did.
Forward Josh Leivo went on the NHL’s COVID protocol list Friday and the game went ahead. Calgary played 11 forwards against the Canadiens.
Monahan scored the eventual game-winner at 5:58 of the third period. Johnny Gaudreau fed the centre from behind the net for Monahan to score top shelf on Allen.
The Canadiens challenged a Calgary goal and got it reversed late in the second period. Officials agreed that Mikael Backlund jostled Allen to knock the puck loose and tap it in.
Calgary outshot Montreal 13-7 in the opening period which ended in 2-2 stalemate.
Canadiens captain Shea Weber was serving a tripping penalty when Mangiapane scored with 34 seconds remaining in the period.
Mangiapane tipped a Noah Hanifin shot from the blue-line upstairs over Allen’s glove.
Montreal led 2-1 at 18:24 on Armia’s goal.
Phillip Danault won the draw and sent the puck back to the winger, who threaded a shot through traffic and beat Markstrom short side.
Toffoli drew the visitors even at 13:19 with his team-leading 23rd goal of the season.
He skated the puck over the blue-line and put a wrist shot under the glove and over the pad of Markstrom.
From behind the goal-line, Mangiapane fed Dube on Allen’s doorstep for the Flame to chip the puck over the goaltender’s stick shaft at 6:06.
Notes: Elias Lindholm has five goals and four assists in his last seven games . . . Defenceman Erik Gustaffson made his Canadiens debut following his trade from Philadelphia . . . Montreal forward Jonathan Drouin was scratched from the lineup Friday . . . Calgary is 9-11-0 since Darryl Sutter took over as Flames head coach, while Montreal is 12-11-4 since Dominique Ducharme replaced Claude Julien.
