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Calgary dumps Habs to clinch eighth-straight win

Gaudreau had a goal, three assists
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Montreal Canadiens’ Jordie Benn, right, reacts as Calgary Flames’ Sean Monahan celebrates his goal during second period NHL hockey action in Calgary, Thursday, March 9, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Flames 5 Canadiens 0

CALGARY — Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and three assists and Brian Elliott had 24 saves for his first shutout of the season as the Calgary Flames shut out the Montreal Canadiens 5-0 on Thursday night.

After assisting on all three second period goals as the Flames blew open a 1-0 game, Gaudreau capped off his night with his 14th goal at 16:12 of the third period.

Gaudreau has 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) during the Flames’ eight-game win streak. Three times before Calgary has won eight straight games. It was most recently done in November 2005.

Mark Giordano, Sean Monahan, Michael Stone and Micheal Ferland also scored for Calgary (37-26-4). The Flames play next in Winnipeg on Saturday.

Montreal (38-22-8) had its six-game winning streak snapped. The Canadiens were without goaltender Carey Price (flu), who was supposed to start for the 10th time in the last 11 games but instead served as the back-up to Al Montoya — although he didn’t appear on the bench.

Montoya had 33 stops. His record falls to 8-6-3.

Elliott, playing his finest hockey of the season, improves to 11-1-1 in his last 13 starts. He has a .931 save percentage over that span. He is 19-13-3 on the season.

Stone made it 2-0 at 8:36 when he scored through a crowd from the blueline. It was his first goal since joining Calgary in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes on Feb. 20.

Playing in place of Dennis Wideman on the Flames second pairing alongside TJ Brodie, Wideman bumped to the press box as a healthy scratch ever since, he has been a good luck charm for Calgary, which started its winning streak the night of his debut.

Stone exited the game early in the third and did not return. He appeared to be favouring his shoulder. The Flames also lost defenceman Dougie Hamilton to an undisclosed injury late in the second period.

There were no updates available.

Calgary made it 4-0 on goals 26 seconds apart late in the second. Monahan fired in his team-leading 22nd goal after Stone’s shot didn’t get through. Then Ferland continued his red-hot scoring with his 14th goal, whipping a shot into the top corner. Ferland’s career-high for goals in a season had been four. He’s got 14 this season including nine in the last 16 games with all of them at even-strength. He recently joined the Flames line with Gaudreau and Monahan and has been a nice fit with that trio playing its best hockey of the season.

Notes: Flames franchise record for wins was 10 in a row Oct. 14 - Nov. 3, 1978, while the franchise was in Atlanta… Absent for Alexander Radulov (lower body) and Tomas Plekanec (upper body) missed their third and second games respectively for Montreal… Canadiens coach Claude Julien coached his 1,007th career game, tying him with Jacques Demers for 25th on the NHL’s all-time list.