The Canadian Press
Bill Beacon
MONTREAL—Mike Condon did a solid job holding the fort, but now Carey Price is ready to go back into the Montreal Canadiens’ net.
Coach Michel Therrien announced after a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes last night that Price will be in the net when the Canadiens visit the N.Y. Islanders tonight.
It will be the first start for last season’s Hart and Vezina trophy winner since he suffered a lower-body injury Oct. 29 in Edmonton.
Condon surrendered three goals on his first six shots and that was enough as Arizona (10-8-1) held on for the win.
The 25-year-old rookie was making a ninth-straight start.
He went 5-2-2 in that span—going six games without a regulation time loss before losing two of the last three.
“He’s been good for us,” said Montreal forward Brendan Gallagher.
“Look at his composure since training camp.
“And even in games where we fall behind like this, he seems to make one or two really big saves to keep it at the deficit and give us a chance to come back,” Gallagher added.
“That’s what you want from your goalie.”
Condon allowed just eight goals in five starts after the Price injury, but then let in 16 in the next four.
Against the Coyotes, Montreal fell behind 3-0 for a third-straight game.
Martin Hanzal and Shane Doan scored in the first period before Oliver Ekman-Larsson added a power-play goal in the second.
Max Pacioretty got one back for Montreal (14-4-2), then Dale Weise closed the deficit to one goal with 51 seconds left with Condon pulled for an extra attacker.
But goalie Mike Smith and the Coyotes held on for the win.
Montreal outshot Arizona 33-20, including 14-7 in the third frame.
The Coyotes lost the first two games of their four-game road trip by 5-2 scores before arriving in Montreal, where they had two days to regroup.
“I was hoping we’d play well,” said coach Dave Tippett.
“We haven’t played well for a couple of games, and I was hoping we’d come in and have a really solid effort and we did.
“I liked our speed, too,” he added. “We played the game fast.
“That’s the team we’re trying to become.”
The Canadiens (14-4-2) are without a regulation time win in the last four games (1-2-1).
They gave up an early goal for a fifth-straight game when Montreal native Anthony Duclair used a burst of speed to set up Hanzal for a goal into an open side at 5:04.
The Coyotes road trip ends tomorrow in Winnipeg, where Doan began his career in 1995-96.
“It’s a place you never forget,” he remarked.
“I got to play my first NHL game in that city, so it’s a huge day.”
Canadiens’ forward Torrey Mitchell left the game in the third period with a undisclosed injury.
Elsewhere in the NHL, Ottawa blanked Columbus 3-0, Boston doubled Minnesota 4-2, St. Louis edged Buffalo 3-2 (SO), San Jose nipped Philadelphia 1-0 (OT), and Pittsburgh beat Colorado 4-3
Dallas shaded Washington 3-2, Tampa Bay downed the N.Y. Rangers 2-1, and Anaheim beat Florida 3-1.
