NHL - Central - Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Montreal Canadiens @ Minnesota Wild 1-2

Charlie Coyle scored the game-winner and Darcy Kuemper made 24 saves to help the Minnesota Wild to a 2-1 victory against the Montreal Canadiens at Xcel Energy Center. Coyle's goal early in the third period gave the Wild a 2-0 lead and was linked to time spent on the Internet watching highlights of Henrik Zetterberg. At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Coyle isn't built like the skilled Red Wings captain, but his move to get around Canadiens defenseman Nathan Beaulieu was certainly reminiscent. After a turnover at the far blue line, Nino Niederreiter chipped the puck forward to Coyle flying down the left wing. The power forward went strong to his backhand, got around Beaulieu and had room to get it back to his forehand with enough strength to beat Mike Condon blocker side under the crossbar for his eighth goal at 4:55. Kuemper made sure the two-goal lead stood up, surrendering a goal to Daniel Carr with 7:14 remaining but making nine saves in the third. Kuemper has won his past three starts and is 4-0-4. Wild coach Mike Yeo said after the morning skate that this was a game Devan Dubnyk may have started earlier this season. But with the way Kuemper has played of late, keeping him out of the crease has proven difficult.
Kuemper is 3-0-2 over his past five starts and has allowed a total of five goals in regulation during that stretch. Yeo said he may have no choice but to find starts for Kuemper when the Wild resume play Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Minnesota avoided a three-game losing streak and begins the break alone in fourth place in the Central Division with 42 points. Condon made 20 saves for Montreal, which has lost five consecutive games and dropped to 2-9-0 in December. Despite the rough stretch, the Canadiens are atop the Atlantic Division standings with 43 points, one ahead of the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers. The Wild led 1-0 after one period, taking advantage of a turnover by Montreal's Alexei Emelin in his own zone, who attempted a pass that landed on Mikael Granlund's stick. Granlund's shot was denied by Condon, but Jason Pominville got the rebound in the slot and scored on a backhand shot at 12:38 for his fifth goal. Montreal outshot Minnesota 8-7 in the second period, which was played predominantly in the neutral zone. But the Canadiens fell behind by two when Coyle scored 4:55 into the third. Minnesota had two potential goals reviewed, including one by Zach Parise at 10:15 of the third period, but on each occasion, the no-goal call on the ice was confirmed. Parise's wraparound was nearly stuffed in between Condon's pad and the post and would have made it a 3-0 game. Instead, Carr's backhand shot less than three minutes later brought the Canadiens back within one goal and provided them with some jump. Montreal got Condon to the bench with 1:24 remaining but did not get the tying goal. Tom Gilbert left early in the game because of a lower-body injury and did not return, leaving Montreal with five defensemen.

Charlie Coyle: "Growing up, watching those guys and those little moves. That's what you try when you're younger and the little things you have in the back of your mind."
Darcy Kuemper: "I think it's been a week since my last start, so it was nice to get back in there and keep the good things going and keep the momentum going forward. It's nice when you get to play and get into a rhythm. I'm just trying to keep it right now."

Winnipeg Jets @ Calgary Flames 1-4

Johnny Gaudreau had a hat trick to help the Calgary Flames to a 4-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets at Scotiabank Saddledome in each team's final game before the NHL Christmas break. Joe Colborne scored and Karri Ramo made 19 saves for the Flames, who have won 10 consecutive home games to tie a franchise record set from Nov. 7-Dec. 12, 2006. Calgary has not lost at home since Oct. 30 against the Montreal Canadiens. Eight of the Flames' next nine games are at home. Gaudreau has 13 goals and 20 points during Calgary’s streak. Tyler Myers scored and Michael Hutchinson made 29 saves in his first start since Dec. 6 for the Jets, who have lost 12 of their past 15 road games (3-11-1). Winnipeg most recently won on the road on Nov. 27 against the Minnesota Wild. Gaudreau scored 4:28 into the game to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. Working a power play from the half-wall, Gaudreau sent a shot into the slot that redirected off the stick of Toby Enstrom and behind Hutchinson.

The goal was Gaudreau's 100th NHL point. Calgary doubled the lead midway through the first. Colborne tipped a shot by Mark Giordano by Hutchinson to put Calgary up 2-0 at 10:23. Myers cut the lead to 2-1 with 4.8 seconds remaining in the period. On a 3-on-1, Blake Wheeler dropped a pass to Myers, who one-timed a shot by the right pad of Ramo. Wheeler has an assist in four straight games. Ramo made seven saves and Hutchinson made nine in a scoreless second, including two during a 5-on-3 man-advantage late in the period. TJ Brodie kept Calgary up one after knocking a backhand over Ramo by Drew Stafford out of mid-air and off the goal line on a shorthanded chance 4:15 into the third. Ramo stopped Mathieu Perreault cutting to the net on a partial break after his penalty expired a shift later. Gaudreau restored Calgary's two-goal lead at 15:41. Brodie's breakaway pass hit Gaudreau in the skate, but he stripped the puck from Mark Scheifele and lifted a quick shot short side over Hutchinson's glove to put the Flames up 3-1. Gaudreau completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal with 1:49 remaining.


Paul Maurice: "This team needs some rest. The coach has been in a bad mood for a long time. We need some rest and some separation."
"You can't put a better tip on that first goal than we did, so I'd have a hard time fighting [Hutchinson] on that. I don't think Gaudreau makes that tip. As good as he was, I don't think he makes that tip."