The Montreal Canadiens remained undefeated Thursday night, and their all-world goaltender showed again why he's the gold standard in the NHL.
@Real_ESPNLeBrun: I'm not sure how it translated on television, but watching New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist and Canadiens counterpart Carey Price duke it out Thursday in the Bell Centre was nothing short of sensational. Price got the edge with a masterful 25-save performance in the 3-0 win, and that shot total doesn't do justice to the heart-stopping saves he made. Lundqvist was nearly as good, stopping 29 of 31 shots. Just wow. "That was a special battle between two of the best goalies in the league,'' said Rangers winger Rick Nash, who was robbed of what looked like a sure goal by Price in the second period. "To see two world-class goalies going at it like that, I don't think I've ever played in a game where both goalies have played that well.'' The Habs are now 5-0-0 to begin the season, the first time in their storied history they've won their first five games, which is hard to believe when you think of the powerhouse clubs of the past. A heck of a start when you consider that their first four games were on the road.
@ESPNJoeMac: Can I please change my preseason pick to win the Stanley Cup? Wow, the Canadiens are off to an incredible start. Pierre, I wish I could have witnessed that game firsthand. The Bell Centre must have been electric after an outstanding pregame ceremony and that spectacular win. Price is the best goaltender in the world right now. Lundqvist isn't too far behind, but Price continues to amaze. Thursday marked the 35th shutout of his career, and it's just incredible how Price performs for the Canadiens. Meanwhile, I said a season ago that Max Pacioretty should be the captain of the Canadiens, and when his teammates elected him to wear the "C" it was the right decision. Pierre, you were there to witness the introduction, and I can only imagine how powerful it was to see Guy Carbonneau pass the torch and watch Pacioretty take the reins as the third American-born captain in Montreal.
@ESPN_Burnside: We talk about "generational players" a great deal, but Price has truly evolved into that kind of player. That sets up some interesting discussions moving forward about who will back up Price at the World Cup of Hockey next fall, when Canada will be a prohibitive favorite playing on home ice in Toronto. One candidate in action Thursday was the Washington Capitals' Braden Holtby, the odds-on favorite to be No. 2, who shut down the Chicago Blackhawks by stopping 26 of 27 shots. The Pittsburgh Penguins' Marc-Andre Fleury shut out the Ottawa Senators for his team's first win of the season, while the Florida Panthers' Roberto Luongo (the backup to Price at the Sochi Olympics) stopped 24 of 26 for the improving Panthers. Could Devan Dubnyk, a winner Thursday over the Arizona Coyotes to keep the Minnesota Wild unbeaten on the season, be in the mix, too? You have to think so. Arizona's Mike Smith, yanked Thursday but off to a great start, was the third man in Sochi and helped Canada to a gold at the world championships last spring. He'll be a factor if he keeps the Coyotes afloat. But as you noted, Pierre, it begins and ends with Price, who is in a world of his own right now.
@CraigCustance: As you guys know, the knock on the Canadiens last season was that they were too dependent on Price. They were typically in the lower third of the league in terms of puck possession, making them a hard team to get excited about come playoff time. It's early, but it does appear the Canadiens are more than a one-man team this season. They're controlling 54.3 percent of even-strength shot attempts so far, a number good for No. 8 in the league. They are outscoring opponents 8-3 at even strength, and their best players have been absolute stars. Aside from Price, Pacioretty and P.K. Subban are both off to strong starts offensively. It definitely gives a glimpse of how well this team can play when everything is going right.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
• Alex Ovechkin was back in the lineup Thursday after being benched the previous game for missing a morning skate, and he scored a goal as the Capitals got a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Meanwhile, Patrick Kane of the Blackhawks was held without a point after totaling three goals and three assists in his first four games.
• Jaromir Jagr continues to defy Father Time, scoring twice and adding an assist as the Panthers got a 3-2 road victory against the Buffalo Sabres. Heralded Buffalo rookie Jack Eichel, returning to the building where he was picked No. 2 overall in June, did not register a point.
• Connor McDavid, the No. 1 overall pick in June's draft, was also held pointless Thursday as the Edmonton Oilers remained winless after a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Blues. It was McDavid's first regular-season game in Edmonton.