Carey Price

Want to read Puckerings articles when it suits you? Just sign up for our RSS feed!

Whether it was the wakeup call Carey Price needed is still up for debate, but a quick look at the numbers suggests that yes, the Montreal Canadiens rookie goaltender owes at least a thank you note to Brent Sutter.

Sutter, who coached Team Canada to the World Junior Championships gold medal in 2006, told Price to take a hike prior to the event. He said Price, lauded as Canada’s next great backstop since he was 16-years-old, was neither mature enough, nor playing well enough that winter to deserve a spot on the prestigious roster.

“At that time we had two goaltenders (Devan Dubnyk and Justin Pogge) that were just better than he was,” Sutter said. “In the long run did we think they’d be better? Probably not, but you’re only worried about those three weeks because that’s all you have. The other guys were older, more experienced and a little bit more mature.”

Even Price, now 20-years-old, admits Sutter was right.

Canada won the championship for a second-straight year, and Price went on an immediate hot streak for the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League after humbly returning to the team.
He hasn’t cooled off yet.

Last season, Price led the Hamilton Bulldogs to the AHL’s Calder Cup with a 2.06 goals-against average and two shutouts in 22 playoff games. And this season he has, so far, forced Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau into using him extensively.

Price is 7-5-1 with 3.93 GAA this season backing up All-Star Christobal Huet. He is one of only three rookie goalies in the NHL, including Mike Smith of Dallas and Josh Harding of Minnesota, who have played in at least 10 games.

Unlike Price, though, both Smith and Harding had prior NHL experience.
”He’s got the talent and he’s patient, not nervous at all,” Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov said. “That’s good for the guys. We can feel that.”

Price admits Huet’s presence has helped his adjustment to the NHL. For the first time in a while, the pressure to win every night is off. When Huet’s healthy — he’s currently out with a groin injury — Price is strictly a backup.

“He’s an All-Star goalie. He’s been there and my job here is to support him,” Price said of Huet. “I knew if I was going to be here that’s the role that I was going to play. You don’t like sitting on the bench, but I’m here to support ‘Huey’ as much as I can.”

Only recently did Carbonneau play Price in back-to-back games. He brushed aside 43 of 46 shots to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3 in a shootout, Nov. 27. Three nights later he was on the wrong end of a 4-0 loss at New Jersey.

Due to a groin injury to Huet, Price became the Canadiens’ No. 1 last week. He lost to Detroit, 4-1, before stopping 24 of 26 shots Thursday night in a 4-2 win at Boston. Saturday night, Price took the loss against the Carolina Hurricanes.

“I can’t get too high and I can’t let my game slide,” Price said. “Both the World Juniors and AHL playoffs were long grinds that required focus throughout, so that was definitely helpful.”

Price, Montreal’s first pick and the fifth-overall selection in the 2005 Entry Draft, was already a household name in the Canadiens dressing room before he had his own stall. After all, it was hard to ignore the daily Price watch in Canada.

“The year he came off last year with World Juniors and the Calder Cup run,” Montreal defenseman Mike Komisarek said, “it doesn’t get much better than that.”

Price, though, still had to prove he could stop pucks at the NHL level, which he did right away, earning his first NHL win in his first NHL game on Oct. 10 at Pittsburgh. He stopped 26 of Pittsburgh’s 28 shots, including all six from Sidney Crosby.

Price won again in Pittsburgh 17 days later for his second victory of the season. He has since beaten the Bruins three times, and Toronto twice. He lost to Atlanta, 3-2, in a shootout despite making 31 saves.
“He’s playing with a lot of confidence and poise, and he’s really coming,” Komisarek said. “We’re fortunate. Some teams don’t have a solid No. 1, but we have two guys who could probably be a No. 1 on many teams.”
Sutter, though, already knew of Price’s potential even when he sent him packing from Team Canada’s camp. As the coach and general manager of the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels, he was quite familiar with Price’s growing legend across Western Canada.

“Since he was a 16-year-old in Tri-City he was the franchise, and there was a lot of pressure on him,” Sutter said. “He had his ups and downs.”

But when Sutter returned to Red Deer from his three-week championship run in British Columbia two years ago, he saw a change in Price’s demeanor. There was growth, a definite maturation. The entire Canadian hockey community saw it, too.

“When it happened (not getting selected in 2006) I wasn’t too worried about it because I had another year left,” Price said. “I think it was part of my learning curve.”

Last year, with Craig Hartsburg as Team Canada’s coach at the World Juniors in Sweden, Price not only earned his roster spot, he guided Canada to its third-straight championship by going 6-0 with a 1.14 GAA and two shutouts.

He continued his torrid streak in Hamilton, where he went 15-6 with a 2.06 GAA and two shutouts during the Calder Cup run. His meteoric rise was complete on Oct. 1 when Carbonneau and Montreal General Manager Bob Gainey awarded him a roster spot.

“When he came to World Juniors, like ‘Hartsie’ (Hartsburg) said, he wasn’t the same kid he was at 18,” Sutter said. “Maybe that was a wakeup call for him the year before.”

Montreal 4 - Boston 2

The Canadiens came out strong in the first (as the almost always do) and were able to go up 1-0 early in the period on a powerplay goal by Christopher Higgins. With just over six minutes left in the period Kyle Chipchura sped in on a clean two-on-two and put a little wrist shot through the legs of Tuukka Raska to put the Habs up 2-0; Ryan O’Byrne assisted on the goal for his first ever NHL point. Thomas Plekanec finished the period with a deflected shot over the Boston goaltender’s shoulder to put the Habs up 3-0 at the end of the first period. Bouillon gave Boston’s Reich a light pounding with 1:21 left – Reich deserved it!

The Bruins took things back in the second period, notching goals from Kessel on the powerplay and Axelsson at even strength. Boston outshot Montreal 13-3 during the period and the only thing that kept the Habs with a one goal lead was Carey Price; the goals he allowed were near impossible to save. The Canadiens earned a high-sticking penalty to Smolinski with only a few seconds left, leaving Boston is great shape heading into the third.

Second Period Notes: Montreal managed only one shot during the last 15 minutes of the period. Smolinski reported a leg injury and did not play in the third.

Montreal came out strong again in the third, outshooting Boston 17-7. Carey Price kept the Bruins at bay with a few key saves and Mathieu Dandenault netted a clinching Montreal goal to give the Habs the game 4-2.

Third Period Notes: Steve Begin took a hard spill into the boards following a speedy break to the Boston net. He suffered an injury to the shoulder and did not return.

Game Notes

The Habs are now 4-0-0 against the Bruins this season with Carey Price earning all four of them. Chris Higgins managed a goal and two assists. No further info is known on the injuries mentioned above; I’ll post here with more info when the Canadiens release it.

Canadiens Finally Scratch Ryder

After producing 30 goals in each of the past two seasons, Michael Ryder of the Montreal Canadiens is sitting at 3 goals so far this season. He was originally knocked from the Habs’ first line to the third, and Guy Carbonneau has now made Ryder a healthy scratch on the roster. In my opinion, it’s about time.

Detroit 4 - Montreal 1

Montreal came into this game on a three-game skid while Detroit is high on a three-game winning streak – both teams are hungry, Original Six tension aside. The Habs had a couple of decent chances in the beginning of the first period but went on to go 0/2 on the powerplay with only a couple of shots on goal before Datsyuk of the Red Wings was able to capitalize on a Canadiens turnover in their own zone and throw the puck quickly between the legs of Carey Price. Price looked in the first and Dominic Hasek made a couple of key saves including a beauty on the right pad as he threw out a leg to stop a slap shot by Thomas Plekanec. The Habs killed an interference penalty to Saku Koivu for the last couple of the minutes to end the first period.

The second period saw the Canadiens regain their composure and Christopher Higgins proved that by tying the game five minutes in after a scramble in front of Hasek. The Wings replied midway through the period when Datzyuk put a wrist shot in on the short side of Price, putting Detroit up 2-1; the young goaltender had made a great save on a Detroit break only seconds before.

The third period saw the Canadiens in a sad state, not logging their first shot until 7:20 into the period – through a powerplay at that. Cromwell buried one early for the Red Wings to put them up 3-1. Things heated up with less than seven minutes to go when Dandenault dove to the rescue as Koivu began fighting with a Red Wing, tackling the Detroit player from behind and earning a Montreal penalty; Zetterburg put the puck in the net seconds into the powerplay to make it 4-1 Red Wings.

My Thoughts

If Ryder can’t score, Ryder needs to go. Same goes for Koivu and any other Canadien being paid the big bucks to put pucks in the net. I’m sick and tired of watching guys who make millions do nothing but skate slowly and bang their sticks on the ice. Period.

What Went Wrong?

Everything, really. We lost badly when it came to goals, shots, hits, faceoffs, scoring changes, turnovers and likely any other stat you can come up with. Even Price, my player of the moment, looked weak on a couple of those Detroit goals. I’ll be hoping for a better showing in Boston on Thursday night.

37 CHL Players Going to Camp

Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League have announced that 37 junior players from leagues around the country have been invited to attend Canada’s National Junior Selection Camp. The released list is as follows:

Goaltenders

Jonathan Bernier, Lewiston MAINEiacs (QMJHL)
Leland Irving, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
Steve Mason, London Knights (OHL)
Tyson Sexsmith, Vancouver Giants (WHL)

Defencemen

Karl Alzner, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
Andrew Bodnarchuk, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
Drew Doughty, Guelph Storm (OHL)
Keaton Ellerby, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
Josh Godfrey, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
Thomas Hickey, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Kevin Marshall, Lewiston MAINEiacs (QMJHL)
Logan Pyett, Regina Pats (WHL)
Luke Schenn, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Brendan Smith, Wisconsin (WCHA)
P.K. Subban, Belleville Bulls (OHL)
Ty Wishart, Prince George Cougars (WHL)

Forwards

Zach Boychuk, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
Cory Emmerton, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
Angelo Esposito, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
Colton Gillies, Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
Claude Giroux, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Matt Halischuk, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
Zach Hamill, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
Riley Holzapfel, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
Stefan Legein, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
Brett MacLean, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Brad Marchand, Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL)
Shawn Matthias, Belleville Bulls (OHL)
Mathieu Perreault, Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
Wayne Simmonds, Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
Nick Spaling, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
Steven Stamkos, Sarnia Sting (OHL)
Brandon Sutter, Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
John Tavares, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Kyle Turris, Burnaby (BCHL)
Dana Tyrell, Prince George Cougars (WHL)
Ryan White, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)

Head Coach – Craig Hartsburg, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
Assistant Coaches – Clement Jodoin, Lewiston MAINEiacs (QMJHL); Curtis Hunt, Regina Pats (WHL)

Halifax 3 - Drummondville 1

The Halifax Mooseheads come out strong in their contest versus the Drummondville Voltigeurs, peppering goalie Maxim Gougeon with 47 shots Sunday night at the Metro Centre. Jakob Voracek netted a pair of goals for the high-flying Moose, also leading his team with 10 shots-on-goal.

Halifax maintains its hold on the number one spot in the QMJHL with 46 points.

Carolina 4 - New York Rangers 0

Cam Ward notched his second shutout of the season as Corey Stillman recorded two goals to help the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the New York Ranger 4-0. This win comes only two days after a brutal 8-1 loss to Buffalo on Saturday night, the beginning of what looked to be a very long 5-game road trip.

The Rangers looked sleepy through this one, nothing at all like the team who beat the Eastern Conference leading Ottawa Senators 5-2 on Saturday. With this loss the Rangers continue to lag 2 points behind the Sens in the standings.

Huet Injured, Price Gets Nod

Although I failed to notice as I watched the game, apparently Christobal Huet suffered a minor groin pull the other night versus Nashville and will be sitting out the next few days as a result. While we all wish Huey a speedy recovery, this means that Carey Price will get a solid chance to shine between the pipes for the Canadiens.

The Habs are 4-5-1 in their last ten games, ending November on a sour note after a promising start to the season in October. A change up in net could mean a change of pace for the Canadiens and I look forward to seeing if Price has what it takes to help inspire a lackluster offense into scoring some goals.

Jaroslav Halak has been called up from the American Hockey League to offer Price backup during his stint as the Habs starter.

« Previous Page