Regelverstöße » big situations and we couldnt finish it off.SPEC

BROSSARD, Que. - It has been one injury after another for the Montreal Canadiens. Goaltender Carey Price was the latest to go down as the team announced Thursday he will miss the rest of the Canadiens playoff series against the Ottawa Senators with a lower-body injury. That came a day after captain Brian Gionta was told he will be out for the rest of the post-season with a torn biceps tendon in his left arm. He is to undergo surgery on Friday. With centre Lars Eller out with a concussion and facial injuries from an open hit by Ottawas Eric Gryba in Game 1, and with forwards Brandon Prust and Ryan White sidelined with upper-body injuries, the Canadiens had a patchwork lineup in Thursdays must-win Game 5 at the Bell Centre. Habs defenceman Josh Gorges said the missing regulars meant the rest will have to hunker down and play more as a team while facing elimination from their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarter-final series. "It magnifies it even more when youre missing key players from your lineup," said Gorges. "The emphasis goes even more on being a team. "Playing together, playing tight. We have to be five-man units all over the ice. Thats the only way we can be successful." With Price out, Peter Budaj made his first career playoff start, with Robert Mayer of the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs as his backup. Forward Michael Blunden was to see his first action as well. The 30-year-old Budaj went 8-1-1 with a 2.29 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage this season. But his only regulation time loss was a 5-1 defeat at Ottawa on Jan. 30 in which he faced 27 shots. He also played in the overtime period of a 3-2 loss in Game 4 in Ottawa on Tuesday night in which he admitted he should have stopped Kyle Turris game-winning shot at the 2:32 mark. "Hes a good goalie," said Habs forward Colby Armstrong. "He competes hard and gives us a chance to win. "Hes played great for us this year when hes had to come in and shut the door. We have a lot of faith in him." Price, who injured his right knee late in regulation time of Game 4, struggled at times in the series and had a 3.26 goals-against average and .894 save percentage. It left Canadiens fans hoping for the kind of turnaround that Jaroslav Halak, who like Budaj is from Slovakia, helped pull off in 2010. That year, Montreal erased Washingtons 3-1 lead in the first round of the playoffs and then upset Pittsburgh before losing to Philadelphia in the conference final. "We know his ability," Gorges said of Budaj. "Were a confident group in front of him and we know we have to play the same way we would any other night." Budajs strong play prompted the Canadiens to give him a two-year contract extension worth US$1.4 million per year on April 10. He signed a free agent with Montreal in 2011 from the Colorado Avalanche. In Denver, he was backup to Craig Anderson, who is now the Senators starter. Mayer has been called up before, including on Feb. 16 this season, but has yet to get into a game for the Canadiens. Gionta was injured in the second period of Game 1. He sat out the next game, but returned and assisted on Montreals only goal in a fight-filled 6-1 defeat in Game 3. But the pain was to much to continue in the series. "That just shows his character and leadership," said Gorges. "Hes been outstanding since hes been here. "Hes helped change the face of this franchise back to being a proud franchise. I think the rest of us can follow in his footsteps." Gionta is expected to be ready for training camp in the fall. There was no word on how long Prust or White will be out of the lineup. Eller has been skating with fitness coach Pierre Allard but is not expected back soon. A quote from Gryba on Wednesday raised some eyebrows and when he said: "We can smell blood. We can taste blood. And its time to put them away." Some found it provocative because of the pool of blood Eller left on the ice after the hit. But Gorges said he hadnt heard the quote and coach Michel Therrien said "no comment." Senators forward Zack Smith said Gryba chose his words poorly. "In some cases players say stuff that fuels the other team, but it that case, Im sure guys over there know he didnt mean it in that way — literal blood, as in the Eller hit," said Smith. "Not that it matters, but Im sure they know he didnt mean it that way." Evan Rodrigues Sabres Jersey .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. Scott Wilson Jersey . Miller reached right to deflect Mikhail Grabovskis attempt with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation, and then made two more saves in the shootout Sunday to give the Sabres a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. http://www.sabresteamstoreonline.com/authentic-sam-reinhart-sabres-jersey/ . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Dale Hawerchuk Sabres Jersey . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. Rasmus Dahlin Sabres Jersey . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . ST. LOUIS -- Closers need nerves of steel. Raisel Iglesias is showing he has what it takes.Adam Duvalls two-run single was all Cincinnati needed as the Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 on Wednesday night.The Reds third win in their last four games dealt a blow to the Cardinals playoff hopes. St. Louis remained one game behind San Francisco for the NLs second wild card, with the New York Mets 1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants.Iglesias earned his fifth save in six opportunities with two innings of relief, pitching in and out of jams in both.A walk to his first batter, a hit batter and a wild pitch in the eighth had Iglesias pitching out of a second and third with one out situation. The right-hander wriggled out with a strikeout and a ground out.First inning everything sped up for me, Iglesias said through an interpreter. After that I picked my tempo up and everything was fine after that.Cardinals pinch-hitter Kolten Wong led off the ninth with a triple. But Iglesias got a shallow fly sandwiched between two ground outs to end the game.After that I started to locate my pitches and it felt like a playoff game, Iglesias said. Im going to be aggressive as I can be and go after the hitters.Reds starter Anthony DeSclafani (9-5) allowed one runner in each of the first four innings, but only once during that span did the Cardinals have anyone in scoring position. He stranded five runners, including two in the sixth, his last inning. He allowed six hits and one run.He pitched his heart out for us, Reds manager Bryan Price said. What a boost. You think about our team and our turnaround in the second half and it really lines up with (DeSclafani) coming back into our rotation and getting Iglesias and (Michael) Lorenzen back healthy.It was the fifth quality start out of six in DeSclafanis career against the Cardinals. He improved to 4-1 with a 2.13 ERA against St. Louis.I face them more often, DeSclafani said. I feel I learn more about them and they learn more about me so its a constant adjustment.Duvall drove in his 101st and 102nd runs with his third-inning single.dddddddddddd He has seven RBI in the series.They werent going down easy thats for sure with Wong hitting that triple, Duvall said. But Iggy bared down and showed that he had some nasty stuff and was able to come out of it.Cardinals starter Mike Leake (9-12) allowed five hits and two runs in five innings, striking out six.Leake was lifted for pinch-hitter Matt Adams in the fifth and he grounded into a double play that scored Aledmys Diaz for the Cardinals lone run.Cardinals manager Mike Matheny brought closer Seung Hwan Oh in with one out in the eighth inning. Oh struck out both batters to get the Cardinals out of a jam after Duvall tripled to lead off the inning.Oh left the game with two outs in the ninth after being hit by a line drive from Jose Peraza.Its baseball, youre going to have times when you just dont get it done, Matheny said. Tonight was one of those times guys make good pitches in big situations and we couldnt finish it off.SPECIAL GUESTSThe St. Louis Blues attended the game and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk threw out the first pitch. The Cardinals wore hybrid Blues/Cardinals jerseys during warmups.ROSTER MOVESThe Reds claimed IF/OF Patrick Kivlehan off waivers from the San Diego Padres and placed SS Zack Cozart on the 60-day DL list. This is the fourth organization Kivlehan has been a part of this season.TRAINERS ROOMReds: 2B Brandon Phillips (left hand) and OF Scott Schebler (left hamstring) were scratched from the lineup.Cardinals: OF Matt Holliday (thumb) is not on a live batting practice schedule.UP NEXTReds: RHP Dan Straily (14-8, 3.74 ERA) has made 11 starts in which he allowed three hits or fewer. He is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in three career appearances against St. Louis.Cardinals: RHP Alex Reyes (4-1, 1.58 ERA) has earned a win in his last three appearances. He is 0-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three career appearances against Cincinnati. ' ' '