Lindgren gets another start as Canadiens host Sabres (Nov 11, 2017)
MONTREAL -- With injuries to goaltenders Carey Price and backup Al Montoya, Charlie Lindgren will get his fourth straight start for the Montreal Canadiens when they face the Buffalo Sabres at Bell Centre on Saturday.
Lindgren, 23, lost for the first time in his NHL career Thursday when the Canadiens dropped a 3-0 decision to the Minnesota Wild, ending Montreal's three-game winning streak. Lindgren is 5-1-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .953 save percentage in the NHL and is 2-1-0 this season.
Price is out with a lower-body injury and Montoya joined him on the injured list Friday with an upper-body injury. The Canadiens called up Zach Fucale from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League on Friday.
"It was a fun streak," Lindgren said on montrealcanadiens.com. "Hockey's always the best when you're winning. It was a tough loss, but the guys played really well. It's time to start a new streak. As an athlete, you always want that opportunity to bounce back and I'm definitely excited to get that opportunity (on Saturday)."
"I have zero issues putting (Lindgren) in the net no matter what the situation is," Canadiens coach Claude Julien told the team's website. "When he's been in the lineup, he's always played well. He played well again (Thursday) night, so even out of necessity or choice, it doesn't matter. As an organization, his teammates, everybody has good confidence in him like they do our goaltending, period."
Lindgren is the first rookie Montreal goaltender to win his first five NHL games since Wayne Thomas in 1972-73. Ken Dryden (1970-71) is the only other rookie goaltender to win his first five games for the Canadiens.
Montreal will face an opponent playing the second of back-to-back games for the third straight game this week.
The Canadiens (7-9-1) have had mixed results so far. They beat Vegas 3-2 on Tuesday, the night after the Golden Knights lost 4-3 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a shootout.
Minnesota defeated the Canadiens the night after the Wild lost 4-2 to the Maple Leafs.
The Sabres, last in the Eastern Conference with a 5-9-2 record, are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Buffalo on Friday. The Sabres scored first on a power-play goal by Kyle Okposo at 13:02 of the first period and then gave up for unanswered goals, the final two into an empty net.
Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner made 27 saves.
"We played a solid first period then made some poor choices that led to penalties," Sabres coach Phil Housley said on buffalosabres.com. "We got away from what we were doing well and our defense got worn down."
Forward Evander Kane assisted on Buffalo's goal Friday, giving him 16 points (nine goals and seven assists) in 16 games this season. Three of Kane's goals are short-handed.
The Sabres are 1-3-0 in the first game of back-to-backs this season and 2-1-0 in the second game this season.
Since losing their first five games of the season (0-4-1), Buffalo is 5-5-1.
