What happened last night that you need to know about? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best performances. This is where we say, "Morning, Joe."
Carey-ing the Habs: It makes you wonder how the Montreal Canadiens would have fared last season if goaltender Carey Price hadn't sustained a season-ending knee injury last November. Without Price, the Canadiens imploded and finished sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 38-38-6 record. Well, Montreal is playing terrific hockey to begin this season (5-0-1), and goaltending has led the way. After missing the first three games because of the flu, Price returned to the lineup and has played the past three games. On Monday, he made 31 saves en route to a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. It's incredible to see how much confidence a team has when it has the world's best goaltender in net. Yes, Al Montoya was solid (2-0-1) during the first three games, but Price brings an entirely different level when he's healthy and productive. Case in point: During the waning minutes against the Flyers, Montreal had a 2-1 lead when Price made a huge pad save to secure the one-goal advantage before the Canadiens added an empty-net goal at the other end of the ice. Also for the Habs, keep an eye on Alexander Radulov. The 30-year-old forward returned to the NHL this season from the KHL, and he's already having a significant impact for the Canadiens. He scored the empty-net goal and added two assists Monday to help Montreal extend its winning streak to four games. He has two goals and three assists for five points in six games this season.
Elliott delivers: We also saw outstanding goaltending for both the Chicago Blackhawks' Corey Crawford and the Calgary Flames' Brian Elliott. With the game knotted at 2-2 after regulation and OT, both goalies were perfect in the shootout until the Flames' Kris Versteeg scored in the seventh round for a 3-2 victory. Elliott, who entered the game with a 0-3-0 record, with a 4.72 goals-against average and an .839 save percentage, was outstanding late in the game, including six saves in OT. He finished with 31 saves in his best start for the Flames since Calgary acquired him from the St. Louis Blues in June. This is why the Flames needed a goalie like Elliott, and he finally produced. This could be the type of performance that gets him rolling. Crawford, who finished with 29 saves, is 1-3-1 this season.
Crease crisis: And keeping with the goaltender theme, a couple of teams are dealing with injuries between the pipes. The Los Angeles Kings are without both starter Jonathan Quick and backup Jeff Zatkoff because of injuries. Quick sustained a groin injury in the season opener and he's expected to miss three months. Zatkoff sustained a groin injury during the morning skate Saturday and was also placed on injured reserve. For now, the Kings will rely on Peter Budaj and Jack Campbell, but it's likely general manager Dean Lombardi will attempt to acquire a goalie via trade. In Boston, the Bruins are also dealing with injury woes to their masked men. Veteran No. 1 Tuukka Rask sustained an undisclosed injury in a game against the New Jersey Devils last Thursday and has not played or practiced since. On Monday, backup Anton Khudobin sustained an injury to his right arm during practice and did not return. He had X-rays taken in the afternoon, and his status is unclear as the Bruins prepare to host the Minnesota Wild Tuesday night at TD Garden. Boston recalled goalie Malcolm Subban from Providence of the AHL.