Fluky, Broken-Stick Goal Proves Machine-Like Carey Price Is Human

Two snapped sticks in overtime led to a couple broken streaks for the Montreal Canadiens.

Carey Price was gunning for his franchise record-tying 11th consecutive win, while the Canadiens were looking to remain the NHL's only undefeated team at home after opening the season 10-0-0 at the Bell Centre, but the Florida Panthers had a divisive strategy to avoid being on the wrong end of history on Tuesday.

With the score knotted 3-3 in overtime, Canadiens forward Alex Galchenyuk broke his stick and subsequently raced to the Montreal bench to grab a replacement. The Panthers, essentially playing 3-on-2 while Galchenyuk took himself out of the play, took advantage. Defenceman Aaron Ekblad's own stick exploded while attempting a point shot, but that didn't stop the slow, rolling puck from beating Carey Price and finding the back of the net. Game over.

It took a couple weird turns and bounced off defenceman Nathan Beaulieu's skate, but that has to rank as one of the softest goals Price has allowed throughout his brilliant career. He's human, it turns out.

With that, Montreal suffered its first home loss of the season in the weirdest way possible. The loss prevented the Canadiens from joining the 1963-64 Blackhawks as the only teams to win their first 11 home games.

Price, who busted out of the gate this season with ten consecutive wins, fell just short of tying George Hainsworth's 89-year-old franchise record of 11 straight victories by a goaltender. That doesn't take away from how sensational he's been, though.

Price has staggering numbers through his first 11 starts, going 10-0-1 with a 1.63 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage. His save percentage and goals-against average are somehow better than the 1.96 and .943 marks he put up in 2014-15—the year he won league MVP and the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender—and he's an early favorite to capture both prestigious awards again.

Montreal is off to its usual hot start, and hasn't fallen off too badly after its disastrous and alarming 10-0 loss to Columbus on Nov. 4. Through 17 games this season, the Canadiens sit at 13-2-2 and first overall in the NHL. We recently examined how their hot start this year compares to the one they had a season ago.

It seems the only things that can slow the Habs down are the Blue Jackets, and a couple defected pieces of fiberglass.

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