MONTREAL — Anthony Beauvillier received a bunch of text messages from local friends forewarning him about how loud the crowd at Bell Centre would be on Friday night with Carey Price returning to the Canadiens’ lineup for the first time this season after a tumultuous personal trek.
But Ilya Sorokin, in net for the Islanders for the third time in four nights with expected starter Semyon Varlamov (non-COVID-19 illness) unavailable, was understandably sharper. He made a career-high 44 saves in the 3-0 win to tie Chico Resch and Varlamov’s team record of seven shutouts in a season.
The Islanders (35-30-9) conclude this three-game road trip on Sunday night in Toronto after losing, 6-3, in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. Any combination of three points either lost by them or gained by the Capitals will seal the Islanders’ playoff elimination.
Zach Parise, with his fourth goal in three games, opened the scoring on a give-and-go with Mathew Barzal off an odd-man rush at 4:25 of the third period. Defenseman Noah Dobson’s rip from the right circle at 6:09 pushed it to 2-0 as the Canadiens (20-44-11) lost their fourth straight. Brock Nelson added an empty-netter.
The Bell Centre crowd chanted, “Car-ey, Car-ey,” when Price (17 saves) led the Canadiens out for warmups and the game, when he was announced as the starter and several times during the game.
“He’s been one of their best players for a long time,” said Beauvillier, who grew up in nearby Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. “Just the excitement around him and the team is cool to see. He’s a great goalie.”
Price, a future Hall of Famer, last played on July 7 when the Canadiens lost the decisive Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Lightning. He voluntarily entered the NHL/NHL Players’ Association player assistance program on Oct. 7 seeking treatment for substance abuse.
He was also trying to recover from offseason knee surgery and was dealt several physical setbacks while trying to start his comeback. Price resumed practicing with the Canadiens on a full-time basis earlier this month.
