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The Canadiens had the worst power play in the NHL on home ice last season, but they scored on both of their opportunities in the first period Thursday and went on to defeat the Calgary Flames 4-2 in the home opener at the Bell Centre.
It was a dominant performance by the Canadiens, who won their third consecutive game and ran their record to 5-0-2.
Carey Price lost his shutout when Milan Lucic scored with 1:23 remaining. Claude Julien tried to save Price’s shutout bid with a challenge claiming the Flames were offside, but the video didn’t support his claim. The lost challenge resulted in a penalty to Montreal and Rasmus Andersson scored at 19:36.
It wasn’t a good first period for Calgary defenceman Juuso Valimaki.
He took a penalty for hooking Jeff Petry and the Canadiens cashed in with a power-play goal by Brendan Gallagher. Jesperi Kotkaniemi found Corey Perry in front of the net and he set up Gallagher, who got a step on defender Mark Giordano as he crashed the net. It was Gallagher’s third goal of the season and his second on the power play.
