Stanley Cup Playoffs notebook: Sunday, April 26

SUNDAY'S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps

MINNESOTA 4, St. Louis 1 – MIN wins 4-2

Montreal 2, OTTAWA 0 – MTL wins 4-2

PRICE BACKSTOPS MONTREAL INTO SECOND ROUND

Carey Price stopped 43 shots to backstop the Canadiens into the Second Round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Canadiens improved to 3-0 in Game 6s where they had originally held a 3-0 lead in the series. Montreal won the other two instances on April 12, 1973 at BUF (4-2 W in CSF) and April 14, 1988 at HFD (2-1 W in CQF).

* Price made his fifth career postseason shutout and his first of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Price improved to 4-2 this postseason with a 1.94 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage.

* Price's 43 saves were the most he has made in his five postseason shutouts, which also established a new career-high in non-overtime playoff games. Price made 48 saves on May 1, 2014 at BOS (4-3 2OT W) and 49 saves on April 23, 2011 at BOS (2-1 2OT L).

* With five career postseason shutouts, Price moved into a tie with Gerry McNeil and Patrick Roy for fourth on the franchise's all-time playoff shutouts list. Kenneth Dryden and Jacques Plante share the franchise's all-time lead with 10 each.

* It was the second time in Price's playoff career where he recorded a shutout in a series-clinching victory. He stopped all 25 shots he faced on April 21, 2008 vs. BOS in Game 7 of the CQF (5-0 W).

* Brendan Gallagher opened the scoring in the first period by batting the puck out of midair with his first goal of the postseason. The goal was the series-clinching goal and Gallagher's second career game-winning goal in the playoffs.

* Max Pacioretty scored his second goal of the postseason into an empty net.

* The Canadiens were the first team to shut out Ottawa in 2014-15 (88 GP, regular season and playoffs included).

* The Canadiens will face the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning- Detroit Red Wings series in the Second Round. Montreal faced Tampa Bay in last year's postseason, sweeping them in four games in the First Round. The Canadiens last faced Detroit in the 1978 Stanley Cup Playoffs, defeating them in five games from April 17-25, 1978 (4-1 series win).

ICYMI: Jonathan Pitre, a 14-year-old boy with a rare genetic skin disease, received a standing ovation from fans when he appeared on the Canadian Tire Centre video board. On Nov. 20, 2014, the Senators signed Pitre to a one-day ceremonial contract to join their scouting staff.

2015 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS BRACKET CHALLENGE

Among the more than 800,000 entries for the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge powered by Samsung, 73 percent picked the Canadiens to win their series against the Senators; 29.1 percent selected them to win in six games.

PARISE, DUBYNK HELP WILD ADVANCE INTO SECOND ROUND

Zach Parise scored twice and Devan Dubnyk made 30 saves to help the Minnesota Wild into the Second Round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* For the first time in franchise history, the Wild won an elimination game – and a playoff game – where they held a series lead. Minnesota had won at least three games in a series on three other occasions but each time overcame a series deficit before advancing with wins in Game 6 and Game 7, with the latter wins earned on the road in each instance (2003 CQF vs. COL, 2003 CSF vs. VAN and 2014 FR vs. COL).

* Parise (two goals) opened the scoring with his second career shorthanded playoff goal. His first such goal was on April 16, 2010 vs. PHI w/ NJD (5-3 W). Parise also added an even-strength goal at 1:01 of the third period for his first multi-goal game of the playoffs and the fifth such performance of his playoff career.

* According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Parise became the first player in franchise history to score a shorthanded goal and an even-strength goal in a playoff game. Parise's second goal was the third-fastest goal in franchise history to begin any playoff period after his goal 49 seconds into the first period on April 28, 2014 vs. COL (5-2 W) and Aaron Voros' goal 36 seconds into the second period on April 19, 2008 at COL (2-1 L).

* Parise became the sixth player in franchise history to score a shorthanded goal in the postseason. Parise joined Wes Walz (two), Marian Gaborik, Mikko Koivu, Brian Rolston and Marco Scandella.

* With 22 career playoff points as a member of the Wild (eight goals, 14 assists), Parise moved into a tie with Gaborik for first on the franchise's all-time postseason points list.

* Dubnyk stopped 30 shots – including Chris Porter from point-blank range during the second period – to improve to 4-2 in the playoffs with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.

* Justin Fontaine scored his first goal of the postseason, which stood as the series-clinching goal. The goal was also Fontaine's first career playoff game-winning goal.

* Nino Niederreiter added an empty-netter to extend his career-high playoff point streak to four games (three goals, one assist).

* The Wild will face the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round. Minnesota has faced the Chicago twice in the postseason, most recently in the Second Round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs where they lost in six games.

* ICYMI: Former Minnesota Twins pitcher Jack Morris led a pre-game cheer prior to puck-drop.

DID YOU KNOW?

Each game in the Blues-Wild series featured at least a two-goal margin, with the past five games decided by three or more goals. Elias says this is the only one of the eight First Round series without a one-goal game, and none of the seven other series have had more than three games decided by three goals or more.

2015 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS BRACKET CHALLENGE

Among the more than 800,000 entries for the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge powered by Samsung, 26 percent picked the Wild to win their series against the Blues; 13 percent selected them to win in six games.

LOOSE PUCKS

The Senators were eliminated from the playoffs after a record of 23-4-4 in their final 31 regular-season games to make the postseason. They became the first team in the NHL's modern era (since 1943-44) to overcome a 14-point deficit in the standings (at any point in the season) to reach the playoffs. ... Ottawa also forced a Game 6 after facing a 3-0 series deficit for the first time in franchise history (in five all-time scenarios). ... St. Louis forward T.J. Oshie scored his first goal of the postseason at 19:56 of the second period. ... St. Louis defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk had his League-leading eighth assist of the postseason. ... Hockey Canada announced that Pittsburgh forward Sidney Crosby will play for Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Championship. ... ICYMI: Click here to watch the #MyPlayoffsMoment video from fans supporting the Blackhawks and the Flames from their respective series-clinching wins on Saturday night. ... ICYMI: Take an All-Access behind-the-scenes look at Saturday's Stanley Cup Playoffs action.