The Montreal Canadiens will have to wait for Carey Price a little longer.
The team announced that the goalie still has the flu, will not practice Wednesday and will not travel to Buffalo for Thursday's season opener. Al Montoya is expected to be in goal Thursday night.
Price missed a third straight day of practice with the illness. It's not clear if he will be ready to face the Senators in Ottawa on Saturday.
The 2015 Hart and Vezina Trophy winner's 2015-16 season was derailed by a right knee injury that limited him to 12 games. He made his last NHL appearance on Nov. 25.
The Canadiens fell apart without their All-Star goalie, finishing sixth in the Atlantic Division after a first-place showing the year before.
But Price gave Montreal fans hope by backstopping Canada to gold at the World Cup of Hockey. He went 5-0 with a 1.40 goals-against average in the tournament.
The Canadiens will call up a goaltender, either Charlie Lindgren or Zach Fucale, from the St. John's IceCaps later Wednesday. Last season's backup, Mike Condon, was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.