MONTREAL -- Montreal may have lost more than just the opening game of the series. Donte Jackson Womens Jersey . With the Rangers already leading 2-0, Carey Price was taken down early in the second period of New Yorks 7-2 pounding of the Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final on Saturday afternoon. At 3:15 of the second, winger Chris Kreider blew past defenceman Alexei Emelin in the offensive zone to force a breakaway. Kreider lost his balance as he shot the puck, missed the net, and slid skate-first into the Canadiens netminder. Price spent more than 10 seconds lying on the ice clutching his right leg after the hit, and was visibly shaken when he finally got up. He spoke to a member of Montreals medical staff for several seconds after the play, but remained in the game, giving up two more goals before the second intermission. He watched the third period from the bench. "There was no reason to put Carey back in the third," said Habs coach Michel Therrien. "It was just to protect him. You never want to see your goaltender spread out on the ice. But the fact that he didnt play in the third period is unrelated." Therrien and several Canadiens players were convinced Kreiders hit on Price was accidental. There was no penalty call on the play. "It wasnt really sitting for me, so I had my head down trying to settle the puck," said Kreider, who scored the game-winning goal late in the second period. "I put it wide and somehow lost my footing. I thought maybe someone pressured me from behind. I seem to have an issue staying on my feet on those. "I went in skates-first and I just had too much momentum and couldnt really avoid him. It didnt feel too good for me either." Despite brushing off any injury concerns, Therrien refused to answer whether Price would definitely get the start in Game 2 of the series on Monday. "The fact that he didnt play in the third period was more to protect him than anything," repeated Therrien. "We were not sharp in front of him." "You dont want to see that," added Rene Bourque, who kept the Canadiens in the game with his team-leading fifth goal of the playoffs at 12:38 of the second. "Intentional? I dont think so. Hes our best player. It was scary to see. Hopefully hes all right." Price gave up four goals on 20 shots after two periods, including two in less than a minute to end the second period, lowering his post-season save percentage from .926 to .919. The score was 4-1 Rangers at the interval. Montreals frustration showed at the start of the third. The Canadiens took four minor penalties in the first three minutes, and the Rangers welcomed Peter Budaj into the game with three power-play goals on their first four shots. Prior to this one, the Rangers had scored eight goals in their last 10 games at the Bell Centre, dating back to Oct. 2009. And this year, Montreal and New York combined for four goals in three regular-season matchups. But Saturdays game was a real barnburner. The Rangers quieted the sold-out Bell Centre crowd within minutes of the puck drop. Martin St. Louis, after an emotional week during which he lost his mother, opened the score at 4:35 of the first. Mats Zuccarello added another 1:51 later. The Rangers scored twice in 49 seconds to end the second period, and added two more in 25 seconds to open the third. Between the end of the second and start of the final frame, the Rangers scored five times in 5:37, an ignominious post-season record for the five quickest goals allowed by the Canadiens. "Good thing its a seven-game series because we have a chance to get back into it," said Bourque. "We have to be better from the puck drop. We had a little bit of an emotional letdown after the Boston series. We talked about that going into the game. Obviously it didnt click. We have to just forget about this game." This is the 15th playoff meeting between the Canadiens and Rangers. The series is split 7-7. Notes: The Habs have not advanced to the Stanley Cup Final since 1993, when they last hoisted the Cup. a New York coach Alain Vigneault coached Montreal for four seasons between 1997 and 2001. a Henrik Lundqvist has made a team-record 81 consecutive playoff starts for the Rangers. The New York netminder had lost his last four contests at the Bell Centre dating back to March 17, 2009. ... Ryan McDonagh tied a Rangers playoff record with four points in one game by a defenceman. a The Rangers are now 8-2 when scoring first in these playoffs. Greg Little Panthers Jersey . -- Brendan Leipsic had two goals and an assist and Nicolas Petan extended his point streak to 11 games as the Portland Winterhawks slipped past the Red Deer Rebels 5-4 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action. Jordan Scarlett Jersey . - Kyle Wood and Barclay Goodrow scored second period power-play goals to provide all of the scoring for the North Bay Battalion in a 2-0 victory over the Erie Otters in Ontario Hockey League action on Thursday. http://www.shoppanthersonline.us/panthers-luke-kuechly-blue-jersey/ . Rasmussen didnt have a decision during his four appearances in May, when he gave up two hits and no runs in two innings. Toronto used five relievers while pulling off the second-biggest comeback in franchise history on Friday night, rallying from an 8-0 deficit to a 14-9 win.VANCOUVER - Willie Desjardins has built champions in major junior hockey and the AHL. Now hell get the chance in the sports biggest league. Desjardins was hired as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. Its his first NHL head coaching job, and hell join new president of hockey operations Trevor Linden and first-time NHL general manager Jim Benning as the Canucks rebuild following a disappointing 2013-14 campaign. "Ive been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time," said the 57-year-old Desjardins, whose coaching career has taken him from Japan to the Canadian national program, and from the WHL to the minor leagues, since he was first hired as an assistant with the University of Calgary in 1985. "To be part of such a great organization and NHL city is just a real honour." Desjardins was also rumoured to be a candidate to take over in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins boast a roster that includes superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The former coach of the WHLs Medicine Hat Tigers said a chance to return to Canada was too good to pass up. "Sidney Crosbys a heck of a hockey player obviously, but for me, when I looked at what was here — I looked at the two guys who are leading this (Benning and Linden), I looked at the quality of the players ... Canadian market, Vancouver fans — it was the right choice to come here." Desjardins, a native of Climax, Sask., most recently led the AHLs Texas Stars to a Calder Cup championship. He spent two years with Texas, winning the AHLs coach of the year award in 2012-13 when he led the Stars to their first ever South Division regular seeason title and the number one seed in the Western Conference for the 2013 playoffs. Ryan Kalil Womens Jersey. Prior to his tenure in the AHL, Desjardins spent two seasons as an associate coach with the Dallas Stars from 2010 to 2012. He also served as head coach (2002-2010) and general manager (2005-2010) of the Tigers, where he led the team to two Memorial Cup tournaments, including an appearance in the 2007 final. Desjardins was named WHL coach of the year for the 2005-06 season, and was also the recipient of the Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award as the top coach in the Canadian Hockey League in 2006. Desjardins resume also includes stints on Canadas staff at two world junior tournaments and one world championship, as well as time coaching with the University of Calgary and in Japan. "Ive watched Willies teams play over the last 12 years," Benning said. "His teams play fast and work extremely hard. They play an up-tempo hard-skating kind of game. His teams play with that relentless attitude that we want our players to play with." Desjardins becomes the 18th head coach in club history and succeeds John Tortorella, who was fired after just one year behind the Canucks bench. Tortorella and former Canucks president and general manager Mike Gillis were casualties of Vancouvers disappointing season that saw the Canucks miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Desjardins says he thinks the Canucks can become a playoff contender again. "We have so many great leaders on this team, and to get to be part of that group, Im looking forward to it," Desjardins said. "Theyve won in the past, theyll win again." ' ' '