HABS GET NHL SEASON UNDERWAY WITH OVERTIME VICTORY OVER LEAFS

It wasn’t a great performance by the Montreal Canadiens to start the 2009 NHL season, but the important thing is that they got the win.  Goaltender Carey Price performed well as he faced a barrage of 43 Toronto shots, and Josh Gorges scored the game winning goal with 12 seconds left in overtime as the Canadiens topped the Maple Leafs 4-3.

The Habs also got the money for their backers in a ‘pick’em’ game.  The 7 combined goals scored went OVER the posted total of 6.  It was something of a tough beat for Maple Leafs’ bettors as they dominated the game in every meaningful statistical category except for the final score.

In the postgame interviews, most of the credit for the victory went to the Habs’ young goaltender Price. Mike Cammallari said that he was the reason the team won the game and that the rest of the players need to play up to his level.

"Carey stood on his head. I just talked to him and said, 'We've got to be better for you and we will.' The truth is that we expect him to do that from time to time because that's how good he is. He won us the game."

Game winning goal scorer Josh Gorges gave his props:

"He was unbelievable. He held us in there when the game could have got out of hand."

Fourth line forward Glen Metropolit tied the game in the third period with a power play goal:

"It's just one of those things. I couldn't believe I was on the power play, so I'm like, 'Where do I go?' So I said, 'Why not go to the front of the net?'"

Defenseman Gorges talked about his game winner—his 6th goal in 247 NHL games:

"That's a great way to start the season.  I don't score many goals."

Former Canadien Mike Komisarek said that despite the loss he thought the Leafs were the better team on this occasion:

"I think we were the better team tonight, and fell short. We didn't get two points. Next time, we'll find a way to win and get the two points. Good start, could have been better, but we'll take the point and take the positive out of it."

Montreal will play on the road for the next week, with games against the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.  They’ll make their 2009 Bell Centre debut on October 15th against the Colorado Avalanche.  Toronto will play the Washington Capitals on the road this Saturday before returning home for games against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday and the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.