Canadiens 3 - 1 Thrashers
Final
  for this game

Price pushes Canadiens past struggling Atlanta

Mar 2, 2011 - 3:18 AM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Carey Price made 40 saves to lead the Montreal Canadiens in a 3-1 victory against the Atlanta Thrashers at Philips Arena.

Max Pacioretty had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who have won three of their last four. James Wisniewski and Brian Gionta also scored in the victory.

"We're all confident in our guys here," Price said. "We all have a good chemistry in here. We all really care for each other in here and I think that's really important."

Chris Mason allowed two goals on 22 shots for the Thrashers, who were coming off Sunday's overtime defeat of Toronto. But they got only one goal, from Nik Antropov, on the way to their sixth loss in seven games.

"We've got to move forward. If we dwell on this one too long it'll be another four- or five-game losing streak," Mason said. "The only thing we've got to do now is forget it."

Montreal scored the game's first two goals to take control. Pacioretty got the first, lighting the lamp with 6:38 left in the opening period, when his right- point blast got through traffic before beating Mason.

The Canadiens went on the power play at the beginning of the second period, thanks to a cross-checking penalty on Atlanta's Anthony Stewart at the end of the first.

It didn't take Montreal long to cash in. Wisniewski, standing just to the left of the crease, took a short feed from Andrei Kostitsyn and snapped a sharp- angle shot in net at the 34-second mark.

The 2-0 edge stood until late in the third period. Stewart passed from the left circle to the slot, where Antropov used the back of his blade to redirect the puck by Price with 5:46 to play.

However, Price and the Habs held on from there, and Gionta's empty-net score in the final minute secured the victory.

Game Notes

Atlanta had won the first two matchups this season...The Thrashers have not won two consecutive games since January 2-5, when they defeated Montreal and Florida...Atlanta went 0-for-5 on the power play...Montreal opened a three- game road trip, which will also take the Canadiens to Florida to face the Panthers (Thursday) and Lightning (Saturday).






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