Price cherishes fans’ enthusiastic support
Canadiens goalie says he ‘really needed’ ovation after breaking Plante’s record
No matter how rich and famous a person is, everyone hopes to feel wanted and appreciated.
That’s what I was thinking after Carey Price’s emotional response to a video shown on the Bell Centre scoreboard during a TV timeout in Tuesday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets that honoured him for playing in his 557th career regular-season game, moving one ahead of hall of famer Jacques Plante on the Canadiens’ all-time list for goalies.
Price was visibly moved by the lengthy standing ovation he received from Bell Centre fans, some of whom had mock-cheered him during a rough stretch this season after a routine save.
“It was definitely an emotional moment for myself ... I didn’t expect it to be,” Price said after the game. “That video and that ovation was something that I really needed. … I’m really thankful and really appreciate that.”
When asked why he needed it, Price responded: “Just through all the hard times that we’ve gone through this year, to have the crowd stand up and appreciate that … that really meant a lot to me. The reaction from the crowd was something I’ll never forget.”
The video included messages from former Canadiens and Hockey Hall of Fame goalies Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden.
“Carey, congratulations on this accomplishment,” Roy said. “Five hundred and fifty-seven games … that’s very impressive. Keep going and raising the bar.”
Said Dryden: “Carey, a friend once told me there are few things more certain in sports than great centre-fielders for the New York Yankees and great goalies for the Montreal Canadiens. Congratulations and thank you for raising the bar higher for all of us.”
Price has indeed raised the bar for most games played, but he hasn’t come close to matching Roy, Dryden and Plante in the most important category: Stanley Cups.
Roy, who played 551 regularseason games with the Canadiens, won the Stanley Cup in 1986 and 1993, posting an impressive 70-39 career playoff record in Montreal.
Dryden, who played in 397 regular-season games, won six Stanley Cups in the 1970s and had an 80-32 playoff record with some legendary Canadiens teams.
Plante, who played in 556 regular-season games with the Canadiens, won six Stanley Cups between 1953 and 1960 and had a 59-28 playoff record.
Price has yet to win a Stanley Cup and has a losing record of 25-31 in the playoffs. He also tops the all-time list for most regularseason losses by a Canadiens goalie with 200 — 25 more than Roy. That says as much about some of the teams Price has played on as it does the goaltender. But the Canadiens are counting very heavily on Price to bring them that elusive 25th Stanley Cup with his new eightyear, $84-million contract that kicks in next season.
Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin will never admit it, but he has to be having some doubts right now about giving Price that deal. The goaltender, who will turn 31 on Aug. 16, has a 16-25-7 record this season after battling chronic fatigue, a lower-body injury and a concussion. After Tuesday’s loss to the Jets, Price ranked 43rd in the NHL in goals-against average (3.09) and 45th in save percentage (.901) and has now allowed five or more goals nine times this season.
Some of that has to do with the new (and supposedly improved) defence Bergevin built in front of Price and a foot injury to Shea Weber that limited him to 26 games. For too long, the offensively challenged Canadiens have been able to go only as far as Price could carry them with a very heavy load on his back. The question moving forward is can the goalie still carry this team into the playoffs — never mind to the Stanley Cup.
Maybe this has just been an off season for Price, but he also went through a tough stretch last season that ended up costing coach Michel Therrien his job before the goalie found his game again, posting a 37-20-5 record with a 2.23 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage as the Canadiens made the playoffs before losing to the New York Rangers in six games in the first round.
The Canadiens are obviously hoping Price can bounce back next season and coach Claude Julien is confident he can.
“We’ve got a good, educated fan base and they recognize what he’s done for this organization,” Julien said. “Even though he’s had a tough year this year, he’s been a great goaltender and he will continue to be a great goaltender for this organization for many years to come. So I think it was nice for him to feel that, knowing that the people are still behind him. Even though he has that one average year, they still recognize everything else he’s done and they still believe in him. So there’s no doubt, I think for him and even for us, it was nice to see a little bit of positive through some tough times here.”
Canadiens fans have shown Price he is still wanted and appreciated and so has his coach and GM.
Now there are eight more years to let this story play out.