MONTREAL -- David Desharnais scored in overtime to lead the Canadiens to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, extending Montreal's win streak to three games.
Tomas Plekanec scored for the Canadiens (35-15-3) in regulation time. Price stopped 23-of-24 shots for his 30th win of the season.
Matt Read scored for the Flyers (23-22-9). Ray Emery, who is replacing the injured Steve Mason, made 39 saves in defeat.
Desharnais scored the winner at 3:27 of overtime after scooping his own rebound over Emery's shoulder.
The Canadiens have now won a league-best 10 games when trailing after the first period. The win also propelled Montreal to the top of the Eastern Conference.
The Flyers stunned the Bell Centre crowd early on as Read scored on the team's first shot 51 seconds into the game. Read beat a partially-screened Price glove side with a wrister for his first goal in 25 games.
The game saw numerous odd-man rushes and breakaways -- including breakaways by Claude Giroux and Max Pacioretty in the game's first five minutes -- but Price and Emery were solid every time.
The pace of the game slowed drastically midway through the first period but picked up again in the second. Price stopped Jakub Voracek on a 2-on-1 to start the second, and the Canadiens netminder barely moved to deny Sean Couturier on a breakaway seconds later.
Scott Laughton failed to increase the Flyers' one-goal advantage when he hit the post five minutes into the second.
The 1-0 score stayed intact until 12:38 of the third period when Plekanec scored his third goal in as many games, shovelling the puck under Emery after a scramble in front of the net.
After conceding on Philadelphia's first shot, Price stopped the next 23 shots he faced.
Michel Therrien's men continue their three-game homestand when the Edmonton Oilers come to town on Thursday.
Philadelphia's Mason will miss at least two weeks of play after sustaining a lower-body injury in Sunday's win against the Washington Capitals.
Notes: Manny Malhotra and Mike Weaver did not play for Montreal. Luke Schenn (day-to-day with an upper-body injury) was a late scratch for Philadelphia. à Prior to puck drop, fans at the Bell Centre held a moment of silence for former Canadiens coach Claude Ruel, who passed away on Monday. à The Canadiens went 0-for-3 with the man advantage.
Canadiens 2, Flyers 1 (OT)
First Period
1. Philadelphia, Read 4 (Simmonds) :51.
Penalties -- Eller Mtl (hooking) 5:12.
Second Period
No Scoring.
Penalties -- Streit Pha (hooking) 13:08.
Third Period
2. Montreal, Plekanec 16 (Galchenyuk, Gallagher) 12:38.
Penalties -- Pha Bench (too many men) 5:43, Del Zotto Pha (hooking) 17:28.
Overtime
3. Montreal, Desharnais 9 (Markov) 3:27.
Shots on goal
Philadelphia 9 10 4 1 -- 24
Montreal 7 17 12 4 -- 40
Goal --
Power plays (goal-chances) -- Philadelphia: 0-1; Montreal: 0-3.