David Perron’s goal was noteworthy because it was his first with Pittsburgh, but especially boastful Montreal Canadiens fans might say it was worth mentioning because goals have been so rare against Carey Price.
Price stopped 30 out of 31 shots as the Canadiens handily beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 on Saturday.
As NHL.com’s Arpon Basu notes, Price is on a remarkable run in which he’s allowed two or fewer goals in nine straight starts.
Carey Price's ninth straight start allowing two or fewer goals: 8-1-0, .953 save percentage over that span
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) January 4, 2015
It’s not too surprising that Montreal is rising with its elite goalie, but the results remain impressive.
The Canadiens have won six games in a row, including all five of a road trip they just ended.
Really, the Habs have just been unreal since a very tough stretch in which they dropped six of seven games from mid-November to early December. They’ve only lost one of their last 10 games with just one of those nine victories coming via a shootout.
It’s not too surprising, then, that Montreal sits atop the East with 54 standings points. The Penguins could have crept ahead of the Habs tonight, but their struggles continue to an extent.
The two teams meet again in Montreal next Saturday, so we’ll see where two of the top teams in the East stand once again.