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Price, Canadiens handle Penguins again

Oct 28, 2007 - 3:50 AM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Carey Price certainly has enjoyed facing the Pittsburgh Penguins in his brief National Hockey League career.

Making just his third NHL start, Price stopped all eight attempts he faced in the shootout and defenseman Andrei Markov tallied in the eighth round to give the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 victory over the Penguins on Saturday.

Price, the fifth overall pick in the 2005 draft, made 20 saves to post his second win. He turned aside 26 shots in a 3-2 triumph over Pittsburgh on October 10.

Price's finest work on Saturday came in the shootout, denying Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby in the third round and 2007 Calder Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin in the fifth.

"I got a lot more than a bargained for on that one," Price said. "It was pretty fun. I'm glad we came out on top. There were a lot of good shooters. I just tried to make them miss the net or hit me.

"I was a little nervous, but I don't think it was as bad as the World Juniors. This was another experience that will help me."

Price led Team Canada to the gold medal at the 2007 World Junior Championship in Sweden, compiling a 6-0-0 record with a 1.14 goals-against average and two shutouts.

Backup goaltender Dany Sabourin, who relieved starter Marc-Andre Fleury in the second period, also was up to the task. After stopping all 13 shots he faced before the bonus format, Sabourin denied Montreal's first seven shooters before Markov's backhander went between his legs to end the game.

"We played two days in a row and won two games," Markov said. "It's a great win for us. All that's important is we got the two points and we played a really good game. It's a little tough to play two games in row, but we got two points."

Mathieu Dandenault and Markov scored first-period goals and Michael Ryder tallied 49 seconds into the second session to stake the Canadiens to a 3-0 lead.

Dandenault opened the scoring at 7:13 of the first period by blasting a shot over Fleury's left shoulder. For Dandenault, it was his third goal of the season.

Just under four minutes later, Montreal peppered Fleury with several chances before Markov gathered a rebound and backhanded it under the crossbar. Markov's tally, his fourth of the season, gave the Canadiens a 2-0 bulge.

Montreal increased its advantage at the start of the second period.

Ryder accepted a feed from defenseman Josh Gorges at the red line and skated into the offensive zone. Ryder's wrist shot beat Fleury over his left shoulder, driving the netminder from the game.

"You have to make sure you're ready if you go in there," Sabourin said. "It doesn't matter what the score is, you want to make sure you're ready every time. We always want to be ready no matter what."

The change seemed to fuel the Penguins, who responded just over two minutes later.

With Pittsburgh on the power play, Petr Sykora knocked a cross-ice pass from Malkin out of mid-air, settled the bouncing puck and fired a wrister that beat Price to the short side.

"I think we need to play with more emotion, and I think that goal and that power play certainly lifted us a bit and got us back in the game," Crosby said.

Crosby halved the deficit five minutes afterward.

After accepting a feed from defenseman Ryan Whitney, Crosby controlled the puck as Price came out to play the angle. Crosby fed Malkin on the wing, but the Russian returned the favor and found the reigning Hart Trophy winner in the slot, allowing him to beat an out-of-position Price to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Whitney's power-play goal with 1:52 remaining in the third leveled the game.

With Montreal serving two penalties, Pittsburgh opted to pull Sabourin to create a brief 6-on-3 advantage. Price made one save but was unsuccessful in stopping Whitney from close range.

"I think we're definitely just trying to work real hard, but there's a difference between working hard and working smart," Whitney said. "Everyone's trying so hard, they want to do a good job, they want to forecheck well, they want to move the puck well. I don't think it was anyone giving a lack of effort, it was just we've got to work a little smarter."

Although Carey was unable to preserve a three-goal advantage, Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau still was confident that his goaltender would prevail.

"That's what Carey does," Carbonneau said. "He was weak on one goal, but he played strong for a lot of minutes."

Rather than dwell on the loss, Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien preferred to look to the future and his team's upcoming four-game road trip.

"It's early in the season, sometimes it's good to go on the road," Therrien said. "I think the timing is right for us to go on the road because we can focus better."