The skinny: It’s getting to be a bit monotonous, but the Canadiens won another game as goaltender Carey Price made up for the lack of offence. Price made 29 saves as the Canadiens squeezed by the San Jose Sharks 2-0 Saturday night at the Bell Centre. Price, who is having a career season, posted his 40th win and his ninth shutout tied him with Pittsburgh’s Marc-André Fleury for the NHL lead. The win avenged a 4-0 loss to the Sharks in San Jose on March 2.
What it means: The win gave the Canadiens 99 points and they opened a four-point lead over Tampa Bay in the battle for first place in the Atlantic Division, but the Lightning have one game in hand and play host to the Boston Bruins Sunday. It was devastating loss for the Sharks, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2002-03 season. The 10th-place Sharks fell six points behind Calgary in the fight for third place in the Pacific Division and eight points behind Winnipeg in the battle for the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference.
Plekanec opens scoring: Tomas Plekanec gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead when he beat Antti Niemi at 18:46 0f the first period. Niemi came out to cut the angle on Alex Galchenyuk’s shot from the right wing. He made the save, but he left a rebound and a lot of open net for Plekanec to score his 22nd goal of the season. Brendan Gallagher scored his 21st with an empty-net goal with 13.1 seconds remaining.
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![Lars Eller of the Montreal Canadiens defends against Noah Gaudette of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. Behind, Max Pacioretty stays close to Alexis Bolduc. The team will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament.]()
Lars Eller of the Montreal Canadiens defends against Noah Gaudette of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. Behind, Max Pacioretty stays close to Alexis Bolduc. The team will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament.
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![P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens holds up William Lavigne of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. The team will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament. On the left is Christian Thomas.]()
P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens holds up William Lavigne of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. The team will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament. On the left is Christian Thomas.
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![Tomas Plekanec of the Montreal Canadiens falls down as William Lavigne of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides flies by him during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. The young team will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament.]()
Tomas Plekanec of the Montreal Canadiens falls down as William Lavigne of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides flies by him during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. The young team will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament.
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![Goalie Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens watches a shot go by him taken by Samuel Pilon of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. The young team will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament.]()
Goalie Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens watches a shot go by him taken by Samuel Pilon of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. The young team will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament.
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![William Lavigne of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides looks up to Brendan Gallagher who was approaching him in a 'threatening' manner during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. The team will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament.]()
William Lavigne of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides looks up to Brendan Gallagher who was approaching him in a 'threatening' manner during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. The team will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament.
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![Nathan Beaulieu of the Montreal Canadiens knocks down Félix Trudeau of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides, much to the delight of teammate William Lavigne, during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015.]()
Nathan Beaulieu of the Montreal Canadiens knocks down Félix Trudeau of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides, much to the delight of teammate William Lavigne, during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015.
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![Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens winces as he is hit by a shot from the point as he stood in front of goalie Carey Price at practice at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015.]()
Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens winces as he is hit by a shot from the point as he stood in front of goalie Carey Price at practice at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015.
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![William Lavigne of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides and a couple of his teammates, 'gang-up' on Brendan Gallagher during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015.]()
William Lavigne of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides and a couple of his teammates, 'gang-up' on Brendan Gallagher during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015.
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![P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens hooks Tristan Gagné of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. The team will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament.]()
P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens hooks Tristan Gagné of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. The team will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament.
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![Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens holds up Samuel Pilon of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015.]()
Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens holds up Samuel Pilon of the AAA pee wee team called Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides during a scrimmage at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015.
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![The Canadiens' Nathan Beaulieu playfully pins Félix Trudeau of the Basse Laurentides Conquérents pee-wee team to the ice, much to the delight of teammate William Lavigne, during a scrimmage at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard on Feb. 6, 2015.]()
The Canadiens' Nathan Beaulieu playfully pins Félix Trudeau of the Basse Laurentides Conquérents pee-wee team to the ice, much to the delight of teammate William Lavigne, during a scrimmage at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard on Feb. 6, 2015.
Gallery: Habs take on the Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides pee wee AAA team
The Conquérants des Basses-Laurentides, a AAA pee wee team, got to play a scrimmage with the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in Montreal, on Friday, February 6, 2015. The Conquérants will be representing the Canadiens at the upcoming Quebec City pee wee tournament.
Heads up, Carey: Price found an unwanted visitor in his crease on two occasions in the second period. Logan Couture lost his footing and slid into Price early in the period and made a return visit later with some help from P.K. Subban, who upended him as he drove to the net.
Defensive depth is tested: The Canadiens believe you can never have too many defencemen and their depth at that position took three hits Saturday. Tom Gilbert left the game after he was struck in the face by a shot from Marc-Édouard Vlasic with seconds remaining in the second period. Earlier in the day, there was news of injuries to Hamilton Bulldogs defencemen Davis Drewiske and Jarred Tinordi. Drewiske, who has played 135 NHL games, is finished for the season with a wrist injury requiring surgery. Tinordi, who started the season in Montreal and has played 13 NHL games this season, suffered an upper-body injury and the Canadiens say it’s not related to the concussion he suffered earlier this season. His condition will be re-evaluated in three weeks, but he is not expected to need surgery.
What’s next: The Canadiens are back on the road for games Tuesday in Nashville and Thursday in Winnipeg. They return to the Bell Centre next Saturday to play the Florida Panthers and close out the month on March 30 with a crucial game against Atlantic Division rival Tampa Bay. The Canadiens are winless in four games against the Lightning this season and have been outscored 16-5.
