BROSSARD, Quebec -- Goaltender Carey Price will miss the Montreal Canadiens' regular-season opener because he has the flu, the team announced Wednesday.
Al Montoya is expected to be in goal when the Canadiens face the Sabres in Buffalo on Thursday night.
Price, who has not played an NHL game since he injured a knee on Nov. 25, missed a third straight day of practice with the illness. He will not travel to Buffalo with the team. There was no word on whether he will be ready to face the Senators in Ottawa on Saturday.
The Canadiens will call up a goaltender, either Charlie Lindgren or Zach Fucale, from the St. John's IceCaps later Wednesday.
Last season's backup, Mike Condon, was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
Sabres: Eichel helped off ice with left leg injury
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel has been helped off the ice after hurting his left leg during practice on Wednesday.
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Eichel was in front of the net when he got tangled up with a defensemen and his leg buckled beneath him.
He lay on the ice and grabbed his leg in pain as the team circled around him. Eichel was unable to put any weight on his leg as teammates helped him off the ice.
The injury occurred a day before the Sabres open the season hosting the Montreal Canadiens.
Eichel is key to the Sabres future after being selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft. He is coming off a solid rookie season in which he had 24 goals and 32 assists for 56 points in 81 games last year.
Eichel played one year at Boston University and became the second freshman to win college hockey's top honor, the Hobey Baker Award.