The original plan – second-guessed by many hockey cognoscenti – was to have Carey Price face San Jose at the Bell Centre Friday night, then start Al Montoya in Washington on Saturday.
That changed when the Sharks lit Price up to the tune of four goals on 18 shots. The Canadiens’ All-World goaltender was gone after Melker Karlsson’s goal, 6:44 into the second period.
Montoya mopped up – five SoG, all saved – and Price will face the Caps.
While the Canadiens were stumbling, T. J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored in a Shootout, lifting Washington to its sixth straight win, 4-3 in Carolina.