MONTREAL - The frustration is starting to mount for Carey Price.

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Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (C) watches the end of the game against the Atlanta Thrashers from the bench during third period of their NHL hockey action in Montreal, November 3, 2009.

Photograph by : Reuters

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The Montreal Canadiens goaltender had moments of brilliance against the Atlanta Thrashers on Tuesday night, but a combination of bad bounces and missed assignments left him on the short end of a 5-4 defeat at the Bell Centre, his sixth consecutive defeat.

"I just hate to lose," explained Price, who was careful not to lay the blame on his teammates. "It's not like I haven't been doing the work, but the results aren't there."

Price appeared to be on his game Tuesday night, but things changed late in the first period when one of those infamous bounces didn't go the Canadiens' way.

Bryan Little was credited with his first goal of the season when Rich Peverley's pass from behind the goal-line struck his skate and went in.

That goal might have ultimately made the difference in a one-goal game.

Or it might have been Mark Popovic's first National Hockey League tally, a knuckleball that, Price admitted, he didn't see as it caught the far corner of the net.

Or it might have been the fourth Atlanta goal, by Pavel Kubina, that stood as the only power-play goal in the game.

But Canadiens defenceman Jaroslav Spacek said the winning goal by Colby Armstrong was the back-breaker - in every sense of the word.

"We scored a goal to tie the game and we should have had some momentum, but then we let them come back and score right away," Spacek said.

Tomas Plekanec had pulled the Canadiens even at 4-4 at 12:40 of the third period, but Armstrong restored the Atlanta lead at 13:14.

"They got three guys in front of the net and we left one guy alone," Spacek said.

When asked whether his teammates had let Price down, Spacek replied: "We let all of us down. This is a team game. He made a lot of good stops for us."

But the bottom line is that Price's numbers continue to be disappointing. The 22-year-old sports a 2-6 record, 3.63 goals-against average and .883 save percentage this season.

Even though Price hasn't won a game since Oct. 3, Mike Cammalleri was quick to defend his young netminder.

"This isn't indicative of how he can play," said Cammalleri. "We have to give him a little more help out there."

While the Canadiens made their share of defensive mistakes, Cammalleri didn't think turnovers were the club's downfall. In fact, the biggest turnover of the game came at the end of the second period when Peverley fanned on a clearing pass and Cammalleri was handed a breakaway which cut the Atlanta lead to 3-2.

Brian Gionta scored the other two goals for the Canadiens, who went scoreless in three power-play opportunities.

The loss snapped the Canadiens' four-game win streak at home and dropped the club to 10th in the Eastern Conference with Atlanta and Boston - the Canadiens opponent Thursday night - nipping at their heels.

Montreal Gazette

phickey@thegazette.canwest.com