TIME FOR PRICE TO STEP UP
Habs’ No. 1 goalie needs to play like it
It certainly looks like Carey Price will be back in goal Thursday night against the Calgary Flames — and if that makes Canadiens fans nervous, imagine how GM Marc Bergevin feels. Price, who has admittedly been struggling with the mental part of his game, sat on the bench the last two games, with backup Antti Niemi taking his spot. But after Niemi allowed six goals on 43 shots in Tuesday’s 6-2 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton, it’s hard to imagine Price won’t face the Flames Thursday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome (9 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). If Price doesn’t start, it will certainly fuel speculation about just how serious his mental issues are. “I’m probably leaning toward Carey,” coach Claude Julien said after the Canadiens practised Wednesday afternoon at the Saddledome. “When I say I won’t confirm it, it’s because I haven’t made the final decision and talked to the goaltenders themselves. But there’s a good possibility you’ll see Carey in there tomorrow.” When Price was asked after practice if he knew whether he’d play, he just shrugged his shoulders and made a funny face. Price has allowed at least four goals in each of his last four games (19 in total) and is 1-3-1 in his last five starts. He has a 5-4-3 record with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage. Niemi has a 4-2-0 record with a 3.74 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage. The Canadiens need their No. 1 goalie right now. Bergevin didn’t sign the 31-year-old Price to an eight-year, US$84-million contract that pays him $15 million this season to sit on the bench, which he has already done six times in the first 18 games in the first year of that deal. Price’s contract is starting to bring back memories of the 12-year, US$64-million deal Roberto Luongo signed with the Vancouver Canucks before seemingly crumbling under the weight of it, losing his starting job to Cory Schneider. When the Canucks had problems trading Luongo because of his long-term deal, he famously said: “My contract sucks.” The Canucks were eventually able to trade Luongo to the Florida Panthers during the fourth year of his contract and he regained his form. The 39-yearold Luongo, who still has three more seasons after this one left on that contract with an annual $5.333-million salary-cap hit, has only played five games this season because of a knee injury. Price was asked after practice Wednesday if he’s feeling the weight of his contract. “No,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’m out there playing the game. I’m not thinking about that. That’s definitely not the case.” Price’s contract isn’t the only one that must be making GM Bergevin nervous these days. New captain Shea Weber hasn’t played a game in 11 months after having foot and knee surgery, and the 33-year-old defenceman has seven more seasons after this left on his 14-year, US$110-million contract with an annual $7.857-million salary-cap hit. Defenceman Karl Alzner, who is in the second season of his five-year, US$23.125-million contract with a $4.625-million cap hit, has been a healthy scratch for 12 of the first 18 games. When Julien was asked if Price might be feeling the weight of his contract, the coach said: “It’s hard to comment on those things. You don’t know everything. You can only talk about the player himself and what he’s capable of doing. I know he’s a good goaltender and he showed he was a good goaltender a few weeks ago. He’s run into a little bit of a dip and kind of ironically almost at the same time as the rest of our team. So hopefully all together, goaltending and players in front of the goaltender can be a little bit better starting tomorrow.” Price said he “felt fine” during practice Wednesday, but he did smash his stick against the crossbar after letting in a soft goal. Price recently watched a game he played against the Flames four seasons ago — when he won the Vézina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie and the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player — with goalie coach Stéphane Waite and said he looked the same as he does now. If that’s the case, how does he fix what’s wrong? “Just some practice,” Price said. “Just figure it out and try and have that right mentality of: Come beat me. Just getting back to basics and that’s it.” Asked if he has tried anything new, like yoga, Price said: “I wouldn’t tell you even if I did. I won’t tell you my secrets.” When Bergevin made Price the highest-paid player in Canadiens history and the richest goalie in the NHL — earning an average of $182,927 per game this season — the GM was sticking to his plan of building his team around Price, hoping he could cover up for defensive mistakes. That hasn’t happened and Bergevin might have more questions in his mind right now than his $84-million goalie.
I know he’s a good goaltender and he showed he was a good goaltender a few weeks ago.