CALGARY — Connor Brown scored a short-handed goal and also into an empty net for the Ottawa Senators in a 4-2 win Monday over the host Calgary Flames.
Josh Norris had a goal and an assist and Brady Tkachuk also scored for Ottawa (16-26-4). Senators goaltender Matt Murray made 26 save for the win.
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Elias Lindholm and Michael Stone countered for the Flames (19-23-3), whose window for a playoff berth is closing. Jacob Markstrom stopped 16-of-19 shots in the loss.
The Montreal Canadiens hold down the fourth and final playoff berth in the North Division. Montreal lost 4-1 to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, but remained six points ahead of Calgary.
Ottawa Senators’ Connor Brown, right, scores on Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom during second period NHL hockey action in Calgary, Alta., Monday, April 19, 2021.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
The Flames have 11 games remaining in the regular season, but three games in four days against the visiting Habs starting Friday will likely determine if Calgary sees the post-season or plays out the string.
Ottawa leads the season series with the Flames 5-2-0 with a game remaining.
Calgary was careless with the puck Monday with 18 giveaways to Ottawa’s nine. The Flames gave up a short-handed goal to the visitors with 56 seconds remaining in the second period to trail 2-1.
Stone pulled the Flames within a goal at 10:47 of the third with a slapshot through traffic from the point.
Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk fell and lost the puck skating the puck out of Calgary’s zone for Brown to corral and produce the empty-net goal.
Norris converted an Ottawa man advantage wiring the puck over Markstrom’s glove at 7:52 for a 3-1 lead.
Calgary didn’t score on its power play late in the second period, nor did it during consecutive Ottawa minors early in the third.
Ottawa Senators’ Erik Brannstrom, centre, tries to get the puck away from Calgary Flames’ Joakim Nordstrom, left, and Milan Lucic during third period NHL hockey action in Calgary, Alta., Monday, April 19, 2021.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Brown scored his third short-handed goal of the season backhanding in a rebound on a 2-on-1 with Nick Paul. Brown had intercepted a Noah Hanifin pass in the defensive zone to start the rush.
Lindholm pulled the hosts even at 11:23 of the first period for his fourth goal and eighth point in his last six games.
Murray made the initial stop on the Swede, but the puck trickled between the goaltender’s pads for Lindholm to shovel in on a second effort.
A Flames turnover on the offensive blue-line and another along the boards in their own end led to Tkachuk’s goal at 9:50.
The Senator caged an errant Juuso Valimaki pass and roofed a wrist shot over Markstrom.
Calgary’s Brett Ritchie and Ottawa’s Josh Brown fought at the end of the first period.
