Price, Canadiens shut out Jets 3-0

MONTREAL – Carey Price made 23 saves for his third shutout of the season, Tomas Plekanec had a goal and an assist and the Montreal Canadiens ended a three-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.

Max Pacioretty scored his 19th goal in the first and Alexei Emelin made it 2-0 with a short-handed goal 7:20 into the second. Plekanec, who set up Emelin's goal, was credited with his 11th goal on a power play at 11:28.

Price made a lunging glove save on Antti Miettinen, then a sprawling stop on the forward's backhand off the rebound 2:46 into the third to preserve his 15th career shutout.

The Canadiens, who lost 3-0 to Washington on Saturday, moved back into a tie with Carolina at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 49 points.

Ondrej Pavelec stopped 20 shots for Winnipeg, which lost its second in a row.

The Jets remained in 10th place in the East with 54 points, six behind the eighth and final playoff spot.

Montreal's Scott Gomez failed to score for a 52nd straight game. The veteran center, who is in the fifth year of a seven-year, $51.5-million contract he signed with the New York Rangers, has gone a full calendar year since he scored last Feb. 5.

There was a long delay before the Canadiens' third goal was announced to the crowd. Gomez, who was mockingly cheered whenever he touched the puck, was in front of the net when Pavelec was beat by Plekanec's shot from inside the blue line.

Some in the crowd of 21,273 booed when PA announcer Michel Lacroix finally announced that the goal was credited to Plekanec.

Pacioretty got credit for opening the scoring 18:02 in when Pavelec inadvertently knocked a loose puck into the net with his stick.

Emelin scored his second goal when he drove the net to direct Plekanec's feed past Pavelec while Andrei Kostistyn was serving his second minor penalty of the game.

NOTES: Jets RW Blake Wheeler fought with Montreal D P.K. Subban 16:05 into the second. ... Canadiens D Raphael Diaz was left out of the lineup. ... Gomez has seven assists in 23 games.