Suzuki and Corfield team up to win over Flyers in Canadiens shootout

Article content

The Canadiens beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 at the Bell Center on Saturday.

Article content

Cole Caulfield scored his second goal of the night and 11th of the season with 1.9 seconds remaining to send the game into extra time. This coincided with the Flyers’ Kevin Hayes go-ahead goal early in the third period.

Article content

This game was the much-anticipated debut for the Canadiens of defenseman Mike Matheson, and while his presence was hard to ignore, not all mentions of him on the scoresheet were positive.

He scored a goal to give the Canadiens their only lead of the game in the second period, and was credited with a hit and a shot blocked, but was on the ice for Philadelphia’s first two goals, scoring a double minor. I picked up the puck for the sticky Joel Farraby and dealt it out three times.

Matheson made it a 2–2 draw when he scored from the slot at 11:55 of the second period. Goal seconds after Caulfield hit the side of the net. The goal ended the non-stop, end-to-end action at 7:26.

Article content

The Flyers got that one back after Arbor Zekai and Nicolas DeLaurier were sent off for a fight. Owen Tippett scored his second goal of the night from the ensuing showdown.

The Canadiens didn’t get off to the worst possible start as the Flyers scored twice three minutes before the game started and the new defensive pair of Matheson and Joel Edmundson went down two.

The Flyers needed just 39 seconds to open the scoring with a Travis Sanheim goal. Matheson tied up Scott Lawton when he tried to redirect a pass from Zach McEwen, but Lawton caught up with the puck when it bounced off the endboard and passed to Sanheim in the slot.

Sanheim assisted Tippett’s shot from the blue line at 2:55, with Edmundson providing an unintended screen for Jake Allen.

Article content

The Canadiens came back to tie the game late in the period. Kristiand Worzak scored a goalmouth he scrambled for 4:18. Carter Hart was the first to save Brendan Gallagher up front, but Hart couldn’t control the rebound and Dvorak slammed the puck home.

Toronto’s Situation Room got busy after Sean Monaghan interfered with the puck in front during a power play. The first decision on the ice was that the puck did not cross his line of goal. A lengthy review showed the puck had crossed the line, but Flyers coach John Tortorella complained of goaltender interference, and a much shorter review ruled that Monaghan pushed Hart’s pads and the puck into the net. and the goal was disallowed.

A minute later, the Canadiens had a 5–3 advantage when Laughton joined Kiefer Bellows in the penalty box and Caulfield scored his 10th goal of the season from the office in the left faceoff circle.

This was the Canadiens’ annual hockey fight cancer game, and the gorgeous box holders donated tickets to young cancer patients and their parents. In addition to facilitating clinical research, Leucan is committed to helping children suffering from cancer and their families.

phickey@postmedia.com

twitter.com/zababes1