Anderson on Price: 'He was an absolute wall'

TORONTO - The Canadiens posted a 2-1 win over the Maple Leafs on Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena, claiming Game 1.

SHOP: Playoff Lawn Sign
Following the contest, forwards Corey Perry and Josh Anderson, goaltender Carey Price and interim head coach Dominique Ducharme spoke with reporters via Zoom.
Here are a few highlights from their respective chats:
Perry on the incident involving Maple Leafs captain John Tavares in the first period:
I honestly felt sick to my stomach when I saw it. I saw the way he was and it's a scary situation. I'll reach out to him and talk to him. Hopefully, he's ok. After that, Nick Foligno came up to me and said: "Let's just settle this now. Let's not wait." You've got to do what you've got to do.

Perry on the group responding to the challenge on road ice:
I thought we had a strong, solid game. All four lines were solid, all the defensemen, and then Carey as well. It's a team game. It's going to have to be a team game. You're going to get some goals from different players, and different guys are going to step up at different times in these playoffs. We got two good ones tonight.

Anderson on Price's outstanding 35-save performance:
That's Carey Price for ya. He was an absolute wall tonight. He loves playing in these big games. When it gets to the playoffs, you've got to bring it to another level and step up your own game. I thought everyone did a good job of that tonight.

Anderson on the play of Paul Byron, who scored the game-winning goal in the third period while the Canadiens were short-handed:
He's committed. He's got a lot of heart. He's been through a lot this year. He's a really, really hard-working guy on and off the ice. He doesn't really show that he's defeated in any way, he just comes to the rink every day and puts in the hard work. It was really nice to see him get rewarded. He played amazing for us.

Price on seeing Tavares taken off the ice on a stretcher:
It's pretty disheartening to see that happen to such a good guy. It's a pretty sobering reminder that hockey is just a game. I'm obviously hoping that he'll be ok.

Price on the Habs' solid effort in the series-opener:
It's a new ballgame right now. We had our struggles throughout the season, but we got to the playoffs. It's a new season, so we're just trying to take it step-by-step now.

Ducharme on Tavares being injured from the accidental contact with Perry:
No matter the rivalry or the situation, you never want to see that happen to a player. Our players even reacted on the bench, encouraging the referees to stop the play and get the stretcher out there. We hope he's ok.

Ducharme on Byron's role in the win:
He's a competitor. When you challenge him, he always responds the right way. There's a reason why he wears an "A" on his jersey. It was good to see him get rewarded with that goal. It's the type of goal that Paul can go out and get.