Canadian NHL roundup: Habs down Leafs in game absent of both team's big names
Xavier Ouellet and Artturi Lehkonen each scored twice as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 in pre-season play on Monday.
Charles Hudon had the other goal for Montreal, which picked up its fourth victory in five exhibition outings. Antti Niemi made 29 stops for the Canadiens, while rookie centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi continued to impress in his bid to make the club with an assist and a plus-3 rating. Joel Armia added two assists.
Kasperi Kapanen replied for Toronto as the Leafs lost for the first time in five pre-season game. Garret Sparks got the start for Toronto, allowing five goals on 36 shots. Sparks is in a battle with Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard to be the backup to Leafs No. 1 netminder Frederik Andersen, but did little to help his cause.
Both teams dressed lineups at Scotiabank Arena filled heavily with players destined for the American Hockey League this season.
Watch Montreal win its 3rd straight pre-season game:
With the likes of Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, Patrick Marleau and Nazem Kadri sitting out, the Leafs' projected fourth line on opening night of Kapanen, Par Lindholm and Andreas Johnsson was given top billing.
Montreal left Carey Price, Brendan Gallagher, Jonathan Drouin and Tomas Tatar at home, but Kotkaniemi got another look as the club continues to debate what to do with the No. 3 pick from June's NHL draft — keep the 18-year-old centre, send him to the AHL or return him to his Finnish club.
Ehlers leads Jets past Flames
Nikolaj Ehlers scored his second goal of the game in overtime as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Calgary Flames 5-4 on Monday.
Ehlers raced up ice and beat Mike Smith with a slapshot inside the far post after Mark Giordano turned the puck over in the offensive end.
Sami Niku, also with a pair, and CJ Suess rounded out the scoring for Winnipeg. Giordano, Morgan Klimchuk, Juuso Valimaki and Ryan Lomberg scored for Calgary.
Watch Ehlers power Winnipeg to victory:
Calgary had trailed 4-2 until Giordano started a late comeback with a goal at 14:25 of the third. The Flames tied it 1:19 later when Klimchuk pounced on an errant clearing attempt by Laurent Brossoit and whistled a high shot past him.
Up until that point, the night had belonged to Niku.
After scoring a goal with 12 seconds left in the first period that began the Jets comeback from an early 2-0 deficit, Niku's second of the night at 15:20 of the second gave Winnipeg its first lead of the night.
Kings roll over Canucks
In Salt Lake City, Jonathan Quick made 28 saves in the King's 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
Tyler Toffoli scored twice, and Anze Kopitar and Dion Phaneuf added third-period goals for Los Angeles.
Watch Toffoli's goals:
Sam Gagner scored Vancouver's lone goal. Jacob Markstrom stopped 23 of 27 shots.
