NHL: Flyers beat Canadiens for third staight win before playoff opener

Matvei Michkov had a stellar performance with a goal and two assists, leading the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. The victory helped the Flyers finish the regular season on a high note, winning their last three games and securing third place in the Metropolitan Division.

In addition to Michkov's contributions, Porter Martone and defenseman Oliver Bonk, who made his NHL debut, each added a goal and an assist. Samuel Ersson was solid in net, stopping 27 shots as the Flyers (43-27-12, 98 points) prepared for their upcoming first-round Stanley Cup Playoff matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

For the Canadiens (48-24-10, 106 points), Brendan Gallagher and Jake Evans were the goal scorers, while Jakub Dobes made 21 saves. Despite the loss, Montreal finished third in the Atlantic Division.

Philadelphia took the lead early in the first period when Martone scored on a delayed penalty at 8:08. Michkov set up Martone's goal with a pass that was tipped through Dobes' pads. The Flyers extended their lead to 2-0 at 14:42, with Bonk, also making his NHL debut, firing a wrist shot past Dobes after Michkov fed him the puck.

The Canadiens responded in the second period. Gallagher, returning to the lineup after missing the last four games, scored at 6:50, reducing the deficit to 2-1. Guhle’s pass to Texier set up Gallagher for a quick tap-in.

Michkov made it 3-1 at 13:52 after capitalizing on a Canadiens misplay in front of the net. A loose puck slipped past Dobes and Evans, allowing Michkov to score into the open net.

Evans answered with a goal late in the second period, narrowing the score to 3-2 with just 11 seconds left after Arber Xhekaj's shot trickled through Ersson.

The Flyers sealed the win in the third period with Alex Bump’s goal at 12:00, firing a shot over Dobes' glove from the slot for a 4-2 lead.

With the win, Philadelphia heads into the postseason with momentum as they gear up for a fierce rivalry matchup against Pittsburgh in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

— Field Level Media / Reuters