Callahan ends Rangers Bell Centre drought, Talbot gets shutout in 1-0 win

MONTREAL – Ryan Callahan ended New York’s four-year-old goal drought in Montreal and rookie Cam Talbot got his first NHL shutout as the Rangers downed the Canadiens 1-0 on Saturday night.

Callahan got his sixth of the season for New York (10-9-0), which has won eight of its last 11 games.

Talbot, 26, who replaced Martin Biron as backup, became the first Rangers goalie to earn a shutout in Montreal since Ed Giacomin in a 5-0 win on Feb. 25, 1967.

The Rangers outshot Montreal (10-9-2) 34-22.

The Canadiens were coming off a 3-2 shootout win in Columbus on Friday night and spent most of the game a step behind the Rangers, who played the first of back-to-back games before playing Los Angeles at home on Sunday.

Callahan broke the Rangers’ Bell Centre jinx just as a two-man advantage ended as he tipped Brad Richard’s blast from the left circle past Carey Price 5:25 into the second period.

The Canadiens went into the game with four straight shutouts against New York, including a 2-0 win Oct. 28 with Peter Budaj in goal. Price had blanked the Rangers the last four times he faced them at the Bell Centre and lost at home to them for the first time in eight meetings.

Montreal was 7-0-1 at home against New York and had outscored them 25-3 since a 4-3 loss in March, 2009.

The Rangers dressed Talbot largely because Henrik Lundqvist, who will play against Los Angeles, often struggles in Montreal.

Notes _ Alexei Emelin, who blew out a knee in April, made his season debut on defence for Montreal, bumping Douglas Murray. He played on the third pair with Francis Bouillon. Brendan Gallagher, who sat out Friday with a flu, was back but was used sparingly. Ryan White and George Parros were scratched. . . The Rangers expect to have star forward Rick Nash back from a concussion either Tuesday against Boston or Thursday at Dallas. Michael Del Zotto and Brandon Mashinter didn’t dress.