Price stifles Bruins in Habs’ shootout win

November 5, 11:04 PMMontreal Canadiens ExaminerHeather Engel

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Carey Price stopped 42 shots against the Bruins for his first win 
since Oct. 3. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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• Game summary
  
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• Pyatt, White called up from Hamilton

Carey Price kept his team in the game and finally, his teammates repaid the favour. Mike Cammalleri scored the lone goal in the shootout to give the Canadiens a 2-1 win over the Bruins. It was Price’s first victory since Oct. 3 and the 50th of his career.

Montreal kept its unblemished overtime/shootout record intact, improving to 7-0 in the tiebreaker.

Glen Metropolit scored in regulation for the Habs while Patrice Bergeron replicated for the Bruins in the 700th regular season meeting between the Original Six rivals.

It was the Canadiens' first win against Boston since a 4-3 shootout win in their home opener last season. It was also their first triumph at TD Garden since Game 4 of their 2008 playoff series against the Bruins.

The visitors got on the board at the 17:32 mark of the first period when Andrei Kostitsyn took advantage of a collision by a pair of Bruins at centre ice to skate into Boston’s zone untested. Shawn Thornton caught up and prevented him from getting a shot off but, with the puck firmly on his stick, the 24-year-old attempted the wraparound on an out-of-position Tim Thomas. Waiting in the crease as Kostitsyn took his shot was Glen Metropolit, who easily completed the play. Call-up Ryan White picked up the second assist on the goal for his first NHL point.

Boston came close to being shut out for a third straight game. Despite outshooting the Canadiens in every period and 43-26 overall, Price stood tall and gave the black and gold jerseys around him little to work with.

The home side thought it had snapped its scoreless drought in the second period when the puck found its way into the net. Though called a goal on the ice, a video review clearly showed that the puck had slipped in under the left side of the net, which had been lifted by a Bruins player.

Claude Julien’s squad finally broke the ice with 52 seconds left in the game. With Tim Thomas pulled for the extra attacker, a shot from the left point off the faceoff made it to the front of the net where Zdeno Chara was charged with screening Price. An open Bergeron found the loose puck and lifted it into the back of the net.

It was the Bruins’ first goal since the third period against Edmonton last Saturday, a stretch of 192:06.

Relegated to fourth line duty for the last several games, Kostitsyn easily enjoyed his best outing of the season so far. Lined up with rookies White and Tom Pyatt, Kostitsyn was hitting, skating and shooting, all things the Canadiens need from the sniper to have success in the long run.

It was an unusually quiet night for the officials given the teams on the ice. Only seven penalties were called overall and just the two teams enjoyed just five power plays combined.

Notes:

• White and Pyatt made their NHL debuts and Martin showed confidence in the pair, deploying them for 12:08 and 11:27, respectively. White was the most physical of the Habs, recording four hits on the night.
• Roman Hamrlik continued to lead the Canadiens’ defensive corps. He played a monstrous 29:44, the most on either side.
• Josh Gorges, not exactly known as Mr. Offensive Defenceman, tossed a team-high six shots on goal. Prior to the game, the most Gorges had ever registered this season was two, against the Avalanche back on Oct. 15.
• The Canadiens got a scare in the second when defenceman Jaroslav Spacek slid hard into the boards. He headed to the dressing room immediately after but returned later in the period.

The Canadiens next face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.