Lindholm scores twice to help Flames defeat Senators

CALGARY -- Elias Lindholm scored twice in the third period, including the game-winner with 4:10 remaining, to help the Calgary Flames to a 3-1 win against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday.

Dillon Dube scored, and David Rittich made 26 saves for the Flames (13-12-4), who are 3-0-1 in their past four games after a six-game losing streak (0-5-1).
"We've gotten seven out of the last eight points here and we want to get that good feeling going again," Calgary forward Milan Lucic said. "How you get that good feeling going again is working hard, playing good defense."
WATCH: [All Senators vs. Flames highlights]
Geoff Ward got the win in his first game since being named Flames interim coach. He replaced Bill Peters, who resigned on Friday, three days after the NHL and Flames announced they were investigating a claim Peters directed a racial slur at a player while coaching in the American Hockey League during the 2009-10 season. Ward, who had been Calgary associate coach, filled in for Peters in a 3-2 overtime win at the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday.
"We're more solution-oriented than frustration-oriented where some points earlier it may have been the case," Ward said. "We're moving in the right direction and I think guys are starting to see that their play is turning up and they're able to feel good about that, they're finding ways to feel good about it, they're finding ways to support each other, and as a result the mood on the bench has been real, real good."
Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored, and Marcus Hogberg made 24 saves for the Senators (11-15-1), who have been outscored 13-4 during a four-game losing streak.
"We're obviously trying to get back to winning some hockey games," Pageau said. "We want to get back to getting that vibe, that swagger of winning hockey games. I think that's what we're trying to build right now, keep building our identity and our culture. I like that everyone is pushing in the same direction right now."

Lindholm shot short side over Hogberg's shoulder to put Calgary up 2-1 at 15:50.
"He made a great play at the net to get that puck up from where he was," Ward said. "We've talked about it a lot. When there's not ice in front of you, get the puck behind and skate onto it. Monahan made a great play, getting the puck up in the air behind the defense and Elias used his speed to get on it, then was able to make the skilled play at the end."
His goal came 1:01 after Pageau tied it 1-1 with a short side shot off the rush over Rittich's shoulder. Pageau had 11 goals in November, two from tying the Ottawa record for goals in one month (Daniel Alfredsson, 13, November 2005).
"I'm just trying to play within our game plan, keep things simple, shoot the puck," Pageau said. "Right now, it's going in. Maybe in 15 games I won't score one more and we'll still be talking here. … I'm trying to keep shooting. It's obviously good for confidence right now."

Lindholm scored a power-play goal into the empty net with 1:34 remaining in the game.
Dillon Dube gave the Flames a 1-0 lead at 18:56 of the first period when he scored on a backhand from just below the hashmarks following a faceoff in Ottawa's end.

They said it

"We're getting our chances, I think. We play a really good defensive game right now. One thing we've got to do is maybe put more traffic in front of the net and as d-men get our shots through a little bit more to help our forwards get a couple greasy ones in front. We want to be a solid two-way team and we're doing that well right now but we have to find a way maybe to score more goals." -- Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot
"I think everyone's been through a lot emotionally here lately. When you're on the ice, it's like Happy Gilmore, happy place type of thing. You're not really thinking about anything other than when you were a kid playing the game of hockey. When you work hard, and you get the result, there's no better feeling. We have to keep that going." -- Flames forward Milan Lucic

Need to know

Lindholm has scored game-winners in each of his past two games. … The Senators are 4-10-1 on the road this season. … Pageau has 10 goals on the road this season. … Rittich leads the NHL in starts (23), shots against (731), saves (669) and is second in shutouts (2). … Monahan played in his 500th NHL game.

What's next

Senators: At the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; RDS, SNP, TSN5, NHL.TV).
Flames: Host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; SNW, MSG-B, NHL.TV).