Price perfect in return from injury as Habs blank Sabres

MONTREAL — Carey Price made 36 saves in his return from injury as the Montreal Canadiens shut out the visiting Buffalo Sabres 3-0 on Saturday.

Jeff Petry, Alex Galchenyuk and Paul Byron scored for the Canadiens (9-12-3), who snapped a five-game losing skid. Montreal’s last victory was against the Sabres exactly two weeks ago.

Price missed 10 games with a lower-body injury dating back to Nov. 2. His last shutout was on Feb. 28, 2017.

The Canadiens went 4-4-2 in his absence.

Robin Lehner made 23 saves for the last-place Sabres (6-14-4), who have lost eight of their last nine.

Price had a shaky start to the season before getting hurt, but the 30-year-old looked like his old self between the pipes on Saturday.

The Canadiens goalie, whose specific injury was never disclosed, made key saves to keep his side in the game.

In the second period, Price made back-to-back saves on Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson in close quarters. In the third frame, he stopped Jack Eichel twice on the power play to preserve Montreal’s three-goal lead.

Petry got the home side on the board with his third goal of the season at 12:54 of the first period. With Montreal on the power play, Petry’s shot from the point went off Rasmus Ristolainen’s stick and the puck jumped over Lehner’s shoulder.

Galchenyuk made it 2-0 with his first goal in 12 games at 13:58 of the second period. Streaking down the ice on a 2-on-1 with Byron, Galchenyuk buried the rebound after Byron’s shot bounced off Lehner’s pad.

Byron got one of his own in the third period when he scored on a short-handed breakaway.

It looked like Evander Kane had spoiled Price’s shutout with 32 seconds remaining in the game, but the goal was disallowed for goaltender interference.