Fowler rebounds in Toronto with Carey Price watching

Jacob Fowler had Carey Price in the building for his first NHL start in Toronto on Saturday. He stopped 26 of 28 shots in the Montreal Canadiens' 4-2 win over the Maple Leafs, four nights after Montreal lost to Winnipeg in overtime despite leading 4-0 late in regulation.

Toronto scored twice in 55 seconds in the third period to cut Montreal's lead to one. Alex Newhook told Sportsnet that Fowler came to the bench and reassured the Canadiens. Montreal restored its two-goal lead on the power play and held it through a late Toronto man advantage.

Price had said on the Never Offside podcast that watching Fowler reminded him of himself at that age. The former Canadiens goalie gave Fowler his number and offered to help if he had questions. Fowler told the Montreal Gazette that Price had reached out on several occasions, including when Fowler was called up from the Laval Rocket.

Asked by Sportsnet after the game what that support had meant, Fowler said, “It means the world.”