"It was his first practice with the team today, but it's only a step towards his return," Montreal coach Claude Julien said. "He worked hard during a day off yesterday, and he came to work again today.
"He wanted to skate with the guys because it was a quick pregame skate. If everything goes well, he'll be back for a full practice tomorrow."
Goaltender Antti Niemi will start Thursday for the Canadiens, who are 15 points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. The Penguins are second in the Metropolitan Division behind the Washington Capitals.
Price, 15-22-6 with a 2.98 goals-against average and .904 save percentage this season, was injured when he was struck in the mask on a shot by Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere in the second period of a 3-2 overtime loss.
Julien said forward Andrew Shaw, who took a hit to the head during a 4-2 win against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, was at home but is in contact with Montreal's medical group.
"He's feeling better than we anticipated," Julien said, "but he's still being evaluated on a daily basis."
