GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Lars Eller scored late in the second period and Carey Price made 29 saves to outduel Mike Smith and earn his seventh shutout of the season in the Montreal Canadiens' 2-0 victory against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday.
Price, who leads the NHL in goals-against average, save percentage and wins, moved into a tie for second place in shutouts with Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals, one behind Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It was the 24th time this season that Price has held a team to two goals or fewer, also tops in the League. The shutout was the 32nd of his career.
Brendan Gallagher scored his 19th goal of the season, into an empty net, with 1.5 seconds left.
The Coyotes (21-38-7) have lost 11 of their past 12 games. They were shut out for the ninth time this season; only the Buffalo Sabres (10) have been held scoreless more often.
Smith played a very strong game with 33 saves, many of them spectacular, but lost for the 32nd time this season.
The Canadiens (42-18-6) came in looking for revenge on several fronts. They blew a two-goal lead at home to the Coyotes in the third period and lost 3-2 on Feb. 1. Montreal had also lost five precious points during the first three stops of its Western road trip (0-2-1), but salvaged two big ones on Saturday.
Smith made 15 saves in the first period, including three each against Devante Smith-Pelly and Brian Flynn. His best stop came on a deflection by Jacob De La Rose with 9:30 left.
The Coyotes played better in the second period, but the Canadiens kept up the offensive pressure and finally broke through.
Smith-Pelly left a drop pass to Eller, who whirled toward the net with traffic in front of him and swept a hard shot that Smith never saw slide between his pads at 14:48. It was Eller's 10th goal of the season, and his first in 15 games (Feb. 7 vs. New Jersey).
The Coyotes pressured hard to tie the game in the third period. With 17:25 left, Price made an excellent pad save on David Moss. The puck popped up on Price's pad, and replays showed Price and the pad were pushed across the goal line by Arizona's Craig Cunningham.
Price's cousin, Arizona captain Shane Doan, rang a shot off the post after beating him to the short side with 6:45 left.
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