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Montreal, QC (SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Rangers found out once again what a difference Carey Price can make. In the first meeting between Montreal and the Rangers since last years Eastern Conference finals, Price turned away 34-of-35 shots in a stellar effort that carried the red-hot Canadiens to a 3-1 victory at Bell Centre. Price sustained a knee injury in Game 1 of the 2014 East finals and missed the remainder of the series, a contributing factor to the Rangers prevailing in six games. The standout goaltender was healthy and in top form on Saturday, however, yielding just a first-period goal to Carl Hagelin to help Montreal move to 7-1-0 on the young season. I thought we played really well. Things are coming around, said Price afterward. The guys are letting me see the puck. The short rebounds Im letting out are being gobbled up by our D-men. Max Pacioretty had a goal and an assist in the win, which concluded a perfect four-game homestand for the Habs. Tomas Plekanec and Lars Eller also scored while Dale Weise chipped in a pair of assists. The Rangers had a three-game win streak snapped as Henrik Lundqvist couldnt match Prices performance, finishing with 26 saves. As far as the goalies are concerned, theres was better than ours, Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault remarked. We didnt have a second chance to score against Price. After both teams lit the lamp once during an evenly played opening period, Price came up with 13 saves in the second and Eller broke the tie with a second-effort score with 8:14 remaining in the frame. P.K. Subban fired a drive that was blocked in front of the New York net and Lundqvist denied Weise in close on the rebound, but the Rangers were unable to clear the puck and Eller jammed it home for his first goal of the season. Price was spotless once again during a 13-save third that saw Montreal extend the margin courtesy of Pacioretty, who slipped a shot past Lundqvist 6:36 into the period after taking in a behind-the-net backhand feed from Weise. We definitely did not sit back too much, said Price of the third period. That was a team with a lot of speed, especially in the third period. At the end of the day we didnt panic or give up a lead. Plekanec opened the scoring with a shorthanded tally with just over 12 minutes elapsed in the contest, forcing a turnover in the Montreal zone that created a 2-on-none breakout with Pacioretty against a defenseless Lundqvist. Hagelin drew the Rangers even with 2:53 to go in the first, skating uncovered into the slot to put in the carom of Dan Girardis initial attempt that Price got a piece of. Game Notes Prior to the start of the contest, the Canadiens teamed with the Senators and Maple Leafs, who were also at home on Saturday night -- to stage a coordinated pregame ceremony honoring the Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in the tragic events in Ottawa earlier this week ... The Rangers fell to 1-8-2 in their last 11 regular-season visits to Montreal and have now dropped six of their last seven non-playoff meetings with the Habs overall ... New York forward Rick Nash, whose eight goals is tied for second in the league this season, was held to one shot. . Sami Salo scored two goals as the Canucks overcame a hat-trick from Edmonton Oiler rookie sensation Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to win 4-3 in NHL action Saturday. . Nikolai Khabibulin was yanked in the second period, and the Ottawa Senators looked ready to put away a big road win. . Kevin Durant certainly played like there was on Sunday night, scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Thunder made quick work of the visiting Pacers with a 118-94 win. .com) - The Milwaukee Bucks will try to get another win on this homestand Thursday night when they welcome the Utah Jazz to the Bradley Center. . -- The Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a minor league contract with reliever Brandon Lyon that includes an invitation to their big league camp for spring training. LA QUINTA, Calif. -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament, birdieing his final four holes on PGA Wests TPC Stadium Course for a 5-under 67. The 25-year-old Saunders, from Fort Collins, Colo., had a 17-under 199 after 54 holes in the six-day, 108-hole event that will determine player priority rankings for the Web.com Tour season. "I was just pretty steady all day today and gave myself a lot of opportunities," Saunders said. "I made a 30-footer for birrdie on 17 and then hit it in the fairway bunker on 18 and hit it to about 25 and made that one to finish with a flurry, which was cool.dddddddddddd" Scotlands Jimmy Gunn and Scott Pinckney of Scottsdale, Ariz., were tied for second. Gunn had a 64, and Pinckney shot 67 -- both on the TPC Stadium Course. Cam Burke of Kitchener, Ont., is seven shots back at 206. Albin Choi of Toronto is another shot back. Devin Carrey of Surrey, B.C., Derek Gillespie of Oshawa, Ont., and Roger Sloan of Calgary are 11 shots back at 210. ' ' '
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