Carey Price Out For Eastern Conference Finals: Coach Says Kreider Could Have Got Out Harms Way When Colliding With Price In Game 1

Carey Price out for Eastern Conference Finals with an apparent lower body injury, thus meaning that the Montreal Canadiens will be without their starting goaltender.

Canadiens Michel Therrien announced Monday that Price sustained an apparent right-leg injury when New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider crashed into him early in the second period of New York's 7-2 win Saturday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. Price, who got up favoring his right leg, remained in the game the rest of the second period, but he was replaced by Peter Budaj to start the third with the Rangers leading 4-1, according to NHL.com.

"We need to rally around Carey," Therrien said. "We need to give him a chance to keep playing this season."

Peter Budaj was the first goalie off the ice at the Canadiens' morning skate but Therrien refused to confirm that he will start Game 2 at Bell Centre (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS). The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 1-0, according to NHL.com.

Dustin Tokarski was the other goalie on the ice and could get his first career start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"I've already taken my decision. I know where I'm going," Therrien said. "You'll see [Monday]."

Therrien said that Kreider could have made more of an effort to get out of the way.

 "It's a reckless play. That's the truth," Therrien said. "And Kreider, this is not the first time he's going at goalies. So we end up losing our best player. But our group faced a lot of adversity through the course of the season and had the attitude to respond really well. This is what I'm expecting starting [Monday]."

Kreider had his own opinion on what happened.

"I look back on it and think I wish I would've put it in the net," Kreider said. "Obviously I was trying to score a goal. I put it wide. It was a bang-bang play."

It appears as if there is no suspension coming down on the play.