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Price's NHL debut a success as Canadiens edge Penguins

Oct 11, 2007 - 3:54 AM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Carey Price was not intimidated by Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Making his National Hockey League debut against last season's Hart Trophy winner, Price stopped 26 shots as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Penguins, 3-2, on Wednesday.

Price, who was the fifth overall pick in the 2005 draft, denied Crosby from the doorstep with his blocker to keep the game scoreless with 13:35 remaining in the second period.

Price would get the better of Crosby again with the Canadiens nursing a 2-1 lead late in the second period. With 40 seconds left, Pittsburgh's phenom grabbed the puck after it took an awkward bounce off the end boards and tried to stuff it inside the goalpost, but Price quickly slid across the crease to make the save.

Not a bad debut for the 20-year-old Price, who was playing in his first NHL game 22 years to the day after former Montreal netminder Patrick Roy did the same against Pittsburgh.

"I read it in the game notes," Price said, acknowledging Roy's debut. "It's kind of a coincidence. It's kind of weird that's how that worked out."

Although he admitted to being nervous, Price seemed to take the whole experience in stride.

"I had a lot of help out there," he said. "The guys really helped me enjoy myself out there. It's pretty intense out there. You look at their lineup and you're like, 'Whoa, there's a lot of high-octane players over there.' But I thought our guys did a really good job the last five minutes of the game, when we shut them down pretty good."

Canadiens captain Saku Koivu was pleased with Price's effort against the highly skilled Penguins.

"As a young goaltender, you don't face guys like that too often," Koivu said. "They have a lot of offense and skill up front. That was a good test for the team and a good test for him."

Defenseman Andrei Markov's goal nearly three minutes into the third stood up as the game-winner.

After Montreal won a faceoff in the offensive zone, Michael Ryder backhanded a shot on net that produced a rebound, which Markov buried for the goal.

Tomas Plekanec and Alexei Kovalev scored four minutes apart to give the Canadiens a 2-1 lead in the second period.

Plekanec blasted the puck over the left shoulder of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for a power-play goal to tie the game with seven minutes remaining in the period. Kovalev gave the Canadiens the lead after he wristed a shot from the right faceoff circle that found a sliver of space between Fleury's blocker and body.

"We were pretty decent for 50 minutes tonight, but there was a 10-minute lapse in the second where we lost our focus, and I think it cost us the game," Pittsburgh veteran - and former Canadien - Mark Recchi said. "Give them some credit, they played a good game and stuck with it, and we didn't."

After Markov's goal gave the Canadiens a 3-1 lead, Evgeni Malkin got creative 57 seconds later to pull the Penguins within one.

Malkin, who had the puck behind the net, backhanded it in front to Maxime Talbot, who fired into the vacant net after Price had expected Malkin to skate out front.

Blue-liner Ryan Whitney's power-play goal seven minutes into the second period put the Penguins on the board.

As Crosby drove toward the net, he was shoved into Price by defenseman Roman Hamrlik. With Price down, Whitney calmly flicked the puck into the open net to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

Despite his goal, Whitney was not completely satisfied with his team's effort.

"We've got to put together an entire game," Whitney said. "We're not going to sneak up on anyone. Every night is going to be tough."

Penguins coach Michel Therrien agreed.

"There's no fire in our eyes like there was last year," he said. "Some guys are really going to have to pick it up - really pick it up."

Crosby showed no effects of being hampered by a right foot injury suffered on Saturday after blocking a shot by Anaheim defenseman Francois Beauchemin.

Fleury made 32 saves for the Penguins, who will celebrate the 40-year anniversary of the first game in team history Thursday.

Pittsburgh made its NHL debut on October 11, 1967 against Montreal at what was then the Civic Arena. Jean Beliveau spoiled the party, scoring his 400th career goal to lead the Canadiens to a 2-1 victory.