Habs Near Perfect in Win Over Red Wings
The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night in what was probably their best played game of the season so far. Goalie Carey Price made 25 saves in the win and recorded his second shutout this year. The win gives Price a save percentage of .957 for the season and a GAA of 1.40. 5 different Montreal players found the back of the net as Phillip Danault, Paul Byron, Shea Weber, Andrew Shaw, and Alex Galchenyuk all scored in the win.
Andrew Shaw Deflects a Shot for His 2nd
The first period saw the Habs establish a 3-0 lead over the Red Wings as Danault and Byron each scored their 5th goals of the season, while Weber added one late in the period for his 6th on the year. The second period saw Shaw and Galchenyuk push the score to 5-0 in what proved to be a breakout game for Shaw. The forward acquired from Chicago during the summer had yet to impress this year, but was named the game’s 1st star after recording a goal and 2 assists. Shaw attributed the success to being inspired by close friend Bryan Bickell, who announced this week that he was suffering from multiple sclerosis. Shaw and Bickell won 2 Stanley Cups together in Chicago.
Multiple Records Set for Montreal
Carey Price is Now 10-0-0 to Start the Season
The win over the Wings wasn’t just Montreal’s best game of the year, but also a record setting one. The Canadiens are now 10-0-0 when playing at home this season, eclipsing a team record set in 1953 when they opened the season 9-0-0 at home. Somewhat ironically that season saw the Red Wings defeat Montreal for the Stanley Cup, an event that won’t be repeated this year. The Habs will now take aim at the league record for home wins to open a season. This mark of 11 games was set by the 1963-64 Chicago Blackhawks. Montreal’s next home game is Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.
Carey Price also established an impressive record on Saturday, as he became the first goaltender in NHL history to start a season with a 10-0-0 record. He also built on the team record for wins to start a season, further surpassing the previous mark of 8 wins set by Charlie Hodge.
Habs Face Blackhawks on Sunday
With the Red Wings behind them, the Habs now fly to Chicago to face the Blackhawks on Sunday night. Al Montoya is listed as the expected starting goalie for Montreal. Montoya has not played since the 10-0 loss to Columbus on November 4th. The team will have to be strong, as Chicago is always a challenging opponent. The Hawks are 10-3-2 this season and sit in 1st place in the Western Conference. Game time in 7:00PM EST.
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