NHL Game Summary - San Jose at Montreal
Montreal, QC (SportsNetwork.com) - Carey Price posted his ninth shutout of the season as the Montreal Canadiens blanked the San Jose Sharks, 2-0, on Saturday night.
Price made 29 saves in Montreal's third win in its last four games.
"That's not an easy team to play against," Price said. "You can't say enough about those guys. Every game, they put on their work boots."
Tomas Plekanec scored what turned out to be the game-winner late in the first period, while Brendan Gallagher added an empty-net goal late in regulation.
Antti Niemi stopped 27 shots for the Sharks, who have lost three of four as they attempt to make a late push for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Montreal opened the scoring at 18:46 of the first. On an odd-man rush, Plekanec sent a cross-ice pass to Alex Galchenyuk, who backhanded the puck right back to Plekanec just inside the left circle for the goal.
"I felt that we were going to get it," Sharks forward Joe Pavelski said. "It felt like we were going to get it all night... Price played good."
Brent Burns nearly tied the game late in the third, but his attempt caromed off the post with a couple minutes remaining.
The Sharks pulled Niemi soon after and Gallagher sealed it with his empty-net goal with 14 seconds left.