Mike Matheson scores OT winner, Canadiens edge Flames

Zachary Bolduc also scored for Montreal (6-2-0), which has won six of seven after a season-opening loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Adam Klapka scored the lone goal for Calgary (1-6-1), which has gone seven games without a win after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in its season-opener.

In a goaltending duel, Montreal rookie Jakub Dobes made 36 saves to earn the win and improve to a perfect 4-0-0. 

Dustin Wolf, runner-up last year for the NHL’s Calder Trophy for rookie of the year, had 26 stops. He fell to 1-5-1.

Both goalies were busy all night, with Dobes facing the highest quantity of chances, but Wolf staring down the higher quality of chances.

Montreal led 1-0 heading into the third period when the Flames tied it at 5:56. Klapka capitalized on a Noah Dobson turnover in front, stealing the puck and scoring five-hole.

Canadiens: Bolduc continues to shine in his first season with the Canadiens. His four goals were just one back of Cole Caufield for the team lead. The 22-year-old winger was acquired from St. Louis on July 1 in a swap of 2021 first-round picks that sent defenceman Logan Mailloux the other way. Bolduc scored 19 goals with the Blues last year in his first full NHL season.

Flames: Calgary’s anemic offence continued to be front and centre with its NHL-worst 13 goals also a franchise worst mark through eight games. In the Flames’ 1972-73 expansion season, when the team was in Atlanta, they had 13 goals through their first eight games.

Possession was all Montreal in overtime and the Canadiens were able to make a line change while Calgary’s skaters tired. The winning goal came when Ivan Demidov spotted Matheson speeding in on the far side and wired a pass through the slot for Matheson to one-time in the open side.

Since the NHL started tracking shots on goal in 1959-60, the record for the worst team shooting percentage in a season is 6.9 per cent by the 2014-15 Arizona Coyotes. Through eight games, the Flames were at 5.5 per cent. The next-worst team was the New York Rangers (7.0).

Canadiens: Visit the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.

Flames: Travel to Winnipeg to take on the Jets on Friday.

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