SUNRISE, Fla., March 3 (UPI) -- Carey Price made 30 saves Thursday and moved within one shutout of tying for the league lead in pacing the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-0 win over Florida.
Price recorded his seventh shutout of the season, one fewer than NHL-leader Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers. Price also won his 30th game, the first time he has reached that mark in his four-year career.
The Montreal goaltender did not have a shutout last season in 41 appearances.
Defenseman Hal Gill opened the scoring 5:02 into the game with his first goal in 61 contests this season. He had played in 100 games straight without scoring dating to the last day of 2009.
Andrei Kostitsyn, David Desharnais and Lars Eller also scored for the Canadiens, who won their third straight and remained three points behind fifth-place Washington in the Eastern Conference playoff scramble.
Tomas Vokoun opened in goal for Florida and was removed after giving up two scores on three shots. Scott Clemmensen finished the game.
The Panthers have lost three in a row and five out of six.
