Elias Lindholm's late third-period goal just over a minute after his team saw a lead disappear was the game winner as the host Calgary Flames beat the Ottawa Senators 3-1 on Saturday night in Calgary's first game after coach Bill Peters resigned amidst a week of controversy.
Goaltender David Rittich made 26 saves for the Flames, who recorded the 1,000th home victory in franchise history.
Peters resigned after investigations began regarding claims that he directed a racial slur at a player while coaching in the minors and also kicked one of his players while coaching the Carolina Hurricanes a couple of seasons ago.
Geoff Ward, who was an associate coach with Peters, filled in for Peters in a 3-2 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday also, but it was officially his first game as interim coach.
Lindholm's tally with 4:10 remaining in regulation came 61 seconds after the Flames blew a 1-0 lead. Sean Monahan, playing his 500th NHL game, chipped a puck into the offensive zone that Lindholm tracked down and then buried from the doorstep.
Lindholm added an empty netter, a power-play goal, with 94 seconds left on the clock to round out the scoring.
The Flames have won two straight games and are on a 3-0-1 run following a six-game losing skid.
Calgary's Dillon Dube opened the scoring with 64 seconds remaining in the first period. Off the faceoff in the Senators' zone, the puck ricocheted off the foot of an Ottawa player and into the slot, where Dube was set up. Dube kicked the puck to his stick and buried a backhander for his second goal in three games.
Ottawa's Jean-Gabriel Pageau tied the game with 5:11 remaining in regulation, his team-high 14th goal.
Goalie Marcus Hogberg, seeing his first game action for the Senators this season, made 24 saves in the loss. Ottawa has been outscored 13-4 in losing four straight games.
--Field Level Media
Ottawa | Calgary | |
Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1 | Points | Elias Lindholm 2 |
Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1 | Goals | Elias Lindholm 2 |
Thomas Chabot 1 | Assists | Johnny Gaudreau 1 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | Elias Lindholm 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Marcus Hogberg .923 | Save Percentage | David Rittich .963 |
Marcus Hogberg 24 | Saves | David Rittich 26 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Ottawa | 27 | 1 | 0-1 | 2-3 | 6 | 36 |
Calgary | 27 | 3 | 1-3 | 1-1 | 2 | 24 |