Coreau foils Price as Red Wings edge Canadiens
DETROIT -- Along his climb up hockey's ladder, Detroit Red Wings rookie goalie Jared Coreau idolized Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price.
On Monday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena, Coreau matched his idol save for save and beat him.
Playing in just his eighth NHL game, Coreau made 18 saves for his second shutout as the Red Wings bested former Hart and Vezina Trophy-winner Price and the Canadiens 1-0.
Coupled with Saturday's 6-3 win over the reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, it's the first time Detroit has won back-to-back home games since Oct. 22-25.
Coreau was originally recalled from AHL's Grand Rapids for Detroit's Nov. 26 home game against the Canadiens, and although he was the backup goalie that night, Price gave Coreau a congratulatory tap on the pads during pre-game warmups.
Coreau, a 25-year-old college free agent who was signed in 2013 by the Red Wings out of Northern Michigan, later recounted how he studies the way Price plays goals and admires the calmness he performs with while between the pipes.
Thomas Vanek scored the only goal late in the second period. Jousting in front of the Montreal net with Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry, Vanek extended his scoring streak to six games when Danny DeKeyser's point shot banked off Vanek's leg and past Price at 18:46. Vanek has counted five goals and four assists during his points streak.
Vanek missed two golden scoring chances earlier in the period during a Detroit power play. He deflected a shot behind Price but it skidded directly across the goal crease and harmlessly out the other side. Seconds later, Price made a right pad save on a point-blank drive by Vanek.
In the first period, Price sprawled to make a spectacular glove save and rob speedy Detroit forward Andreas Athanasiou on a breakaway chance.
Coreau wasn't as busy as Price in terms of high-end chances. His best stop was a blocker save in the second period after Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty set up Alex Galchenyuk for a one-timer off a Detroit turnover.
NOTES: Detroit G Jimmy Howard, on injured reserve due to a knee injury, skated on his own for the first time Monday. ... Red Wings F Gus Nyquist has scored in two straight games after going 21 games without a goal. ... Detroit F Thomas Vanek is riding a five-game point streak with 4-4-8 numbers over that span. ... Detroit scratches were Fs Tomas Jurco and Steve Ott and D Ryan Sproul. F Darren Helm (shoulder) and defensemen Brendan Smith (knee) and Niklas Kronwall (groin) are also on the IR. ... LW Jacob De La Rose, recalled Sunday from AHL St. John's, made his season debut for Montreal. ... The next goal by Canadiens F Tomas Plekanec will be his 223rd for Montreal, tying him with Peter Mahovlich for 18th on the club's all-time list. ... Canadiens scratches were forwards Michael McCarron and Daniel Carr and defenseman Ryan Johnston. Fs David Desharnais (knee) and Brendan Gallagher (hand) and Ds Andrei Markov (lower body) and Greg Pateryn (ankle) are on IR.