Price skipping All-Star Game for extra rest

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price will not participate in the upcoming All-Star Game, opting instead to use the break for rest, the team announced on Monday.

"We took the time to discuss the situation with Carey and the medical group earlier today, and we all agreed that the best decision for him would be to rest and recuperate during the upcoming All-Star Break. Carey has had a nagging injury for some time, and we want to make sure to have him healthy and rested for the second half of the season," Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said.

Price is the second All-Star to skip the festivities, joining Alex Ovechkin. Per league policy, both players must serve a one-game suspension for missing the event after being selected.

The veteran has made 31 starts, posting a .908 save percentage this season. But Price said earlier in January he's been battling through a lower-body injury for about seven weeks. His health down the stretch is imperative to the Canadiens' success. The team sits just one point out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference entering Monday's games.

With Price out, the Atlantic Division squad needs a new representative between the pipes to suit up alongside Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings.

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