MONTREAL – Carey Price stopped 34 shots for his first NHL shutout and Andrei Kostitsyn scored a highlight reel goal for Montreal.

Price, chosen fifth overall in the 2005 draft, won his second straight start, drawing chants of “Carey! Carey! Carey!” from the sold-out crowd of 21,293 after Montreal killed a lengthy 5-on-3 early in the third period to protect its slim lead.

The Canadiens won their second in a row following a season-high three-game losing streak.

Philadelphia lost its sixth in a row, matching its longest losing streak of the season.

Devils 3, Senators 2

OTTAWA – Arron Asham scored two goals and Paul Martin had two assists to help the New Jersey Devils beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Saturday night.

Zach Parise scored the other goal for the Devils (33-21-5), who are just two points behind the Senators for first place in the Eastern Conference.

Martin Brodeur made 37 saves to collect his 31st win of the season.

Ray Emery made his third start in the last four games for the Senators and had 26 saves.

Rangers 5, Sabres 1

NEW YORK – Sean Avery scored the first of his two goals 10 seconds in, and Brandon Dubinsky had a goal and two assists for New York, which chased goalie Ryan Miller in the first period and routed Buffalo.

Henrik Lundqvist, in his first game since signing a six-year, $41.25 million deal with the Rangers, made 29 saves.

Islanders 4, Thrashers 1

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Rick DiPietro came up 77 seconds short of a shutout, and the Islanders set franchise records for fewest shots allowed and shot discrepancy.

DiPietro needed to stop just nine shots, while the Islanders pelted Kari Lehtonen for 49. DiPietro also added an assist as 12 Islanders recorded a point.

‘Canes 5, Panthers 4

RALEIGH, N.C. – Ray Whitney scored with 4:21 left and Carolina rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period, beating Florida to extend its home winning streak against the Panthers to 13 games.

Wade Brookbank, Sergei Samsonov, Eric Staal and Trevor Letowski scored for the Hurricanes, whose third straight victory came in their first game since captain Rod Brind’Amour tore a ligament in his left knee, an injury that almost certainly will end his season.

Capitals 3, Lightning 2

TAMPA, Fla. – Alexander Semin scored the go-ahead goal with 3 minutes left in a wild third period and Washington beat Tampa Bay.

Semin gave Washington a 3-2 lead, scoring on a rebound, after the Capitals blew a two-goal lead with just over 4 minutes to play.