Interesting take Cory. I’m sure this article will be appreciated by our friends north of the border. L

From north of the border —-

Good article Cory. I happen to agree with you. I’m a huge (but realistic) Habs fan. Carey has tons of growth potential to be one of the greats, but he HAS been just above average as far as league wide goalies go so far this year.
After last year’s playoff match-up with Flyers, the writing was on the wall - screen Price, get in his face then shoot from the point or from the slot.
He gets drops too soon, and at times, is slow to react. Our D has to keep the crease clear and the shooting lanes visible.

Nice to see Carolina fans interested enough to blog hockey!

Cheers…

And for Pete’s sake: It’s “The Priceberg”, ok?
Peace Out

A very good article.
Perhaps you should consider this… Carey Price has a way of handling himself that is well beyond his years, and yet that doesn’t make him the best next thing right now but it certainly allows for him to be more confident and potentally successful in MTL. Think about this… good goalies steal a game for you now and then, great goalies make one or two big saves a game that turns things around. Mr. Price has that, the other 5 skaters in front of him need to work a little harder. Mr. Ward makes those saves. Mr. Leighton was a quick Hab and had a chance to learn a few goods things… he will push Mr. Ward – result good goaltending duo, almost unheard of today.
I say this with all respect, Carey will be an elite goalie simply based on this, he will be allowed to work out any problems/bad games/etc on his terms not unlike the situation Carolina had when Gerber stunk out the RBC vs. MTL in the Stanley Cup year. (Congrats… good playoff run I enjoyed watching it) Mr. Ward is a fine goalie. Not to compare, but if Gerber had not stunk out the RBC that night Mr. Ward may or may not have been given that chance that all sports welcomes… a hero. Mr. Ward ran with it and good for Carolina fans cause things didn’t look good for a while there.
Mr. Price will develop right in front of all of us. Not in the AHL or Europe, but bascially right there in front of all of us hockey fans.
We have all seen and heard of the next best everything in hockey, but this is rare in that you will see him develop game by game, blog by blog, right in front of us. I realize that there are no slam dunks with this, but Mr. Price was at that place in his development where Huet had to be moved, he wasn’t staying in MTL and ask Mr. Rutherford… gotta get something when you can. Personally I think Mr. Price would learn a lot from an experienced back-up. I guess you can’t have it all… Thanks for letting me bend your ear. Cheers

Mike — I think Ward showed much of the same during Carolina’s Cup run. An ability to seem emotionless in the biggest of moments. The key is doing that with consistency, which is a sign of a great player. That’s where Ward has fallen short so far.

I certainly appreciate Price’s talent, I’m just not prepared to anoint him a place with Montreal’s storied netminders yet.

The thing worth remembering is these are two of the youngest starters in the league (along with M-A Fleury), so we can’t totally decide on what they’ll be just yet.

Thanks for all the comments anyone … and Priceberg … that’s funny.

LOL – great article. I too am a die-hard Habs fan, but you are pretty well on the money. No doubt Price is a very good young goalie and we all hope he will be the second coming (or third if you count both Dryden and Roy), but the jury is still out.

I was not happy with moving Huet last year, but understood the move with Huet becoming a UFA at season’s end (although they only got a third round pick!). You say the Habs were a contender last year, but that’s far from the truth. They were too young (and still are) to be considered to have a legitimate shot at the mug.

There’s no doubt Canadian boys (on Canadian teams especially) get the lion’s share of the headlines… but any “decent” player on a poopular Canadian club gets more than his share of copy… look at Grabovski in Toronto! Leafs fans think he’s the next Wayne Gretzky. It’s only the last names sound somewhat alike. That kid has mad skill, but a long ways to go before he can be considered a complete player (or a number 1… or even number two centre).

Anyway, I enjoyed the rant. Well written.

I am adie-hard habs fan, and I have been thinking the very same thing since they traded Huet. Gainey has proven himself to be a great hockey mind, so I will sit back and hope this is another great move.

Dear Cory???,

Your supporting arguements that Price is not worthy of the fan fare is weak at best.

1. Because he didn’t lead his team to a cup he’s not a good goalie? Last time I checked none of these current great goalies (Tim Thomas, Roberto Luongo, Henrik Lundqvist, Niklas Backstrom and Ryan Miller) lead a team that was suppose to finish out of playoff contention to the top of the east or have one of the best rookie records for wins for someone 20 or under. None of these men have Cups, yet you consider them good goal tenders if not great!

2. Last time I looked save percentage doesn’t win you the Cup… Look at Patrick Roys rookie season cup save percentage (.875) and 3.75 GA or Cam wards stats through his first 4 seasons not all that impressive. Or any goalies stats from those mentioned in your article.

Let’s be honest you hate the fact that the fans are on the cusp of voting all Habs to the All Star game. Price who has had a couple of bad outings which has deflated his stats is an easy target when building your arguement. Two weeks ago his stats where in the top 5 and I suspect all the goalies will go through a rough path which will lend a skeptical eye from opposing fans.

Last, Worry about the Canes and stop whining about the lack of support American players get. Canada’s sport is hockey. Montreal is the most storied franchise in Hockey. Should fans not want to get excited about one of there own is doing well? Do Canadians get all bent out of shape when their baseball players get the respect they deserve?

In case you are wondering I am an American. Love hockey and will enjoy watching Price grow up to be a great goalie. Cup or not.

J Couture
Albany NY

Price did not start every game against Philadelphia. Halak started in two of those games, if I remember correctly.

Good Article Cory,

I have watched Price play a good number of games and I have to agree with you. He does have the luxury of not worrying about a backup taking his #1 spot and I think that might actually hurt him in the long run, but that is still to be seen.

I am very happy with our goalies here in NC and I think it will only get better with age. Ward like Price is young and both I think are future elite goalies in this league as long as they get pushed and get to their potential levels.

Very cute blog Cory…study the game a bit more…understands what goaltending is…who the best were…who will be the future best…what it takes to get there…its still a good article…long…you said a lot…but a lot of nothing really…which is cool…like I said…study the game more…i think you took to blogging a bit too early because you still have a lot to learn but hey…you learn more through your mistakes right…

take care kid…best of luck!

I am a big habs fan and totally agree with you. he’s young and has potential but has been blown up from the media and fans in Montreal. he’s average at best right now. i hope he turns into an all-star caliber goalie obviously. but he is far from it yet. and yes, he was BRUTAL in the playoffs against Philly last year. let in weak goal after weak goal. and it deflated the team in front of him each time. he’s let in some pretty flaky goals this year too.

Geoff .. you’re right, he lost three of four vs. Philly. My bad.

Jason C.:
1. Didn’t I preface the article saying Price is a very good young goalie?
2. It was a different era in 85-86 when Roy was a rookie. Fuhr’s GAA from those days always hovered around 3. I also said Ward hasn’t lived up to his Cup-winning performance. The fact is, Price struggled vs. Philly.
3. Does the All-Star Game really mean anything?
4. This has nothing to do with American players. It has everything to do with a player who hasn’t proven anything in the NHL getting treated like hockey royalty. That treatment comes with accomplishments, none of which Price has at the NHL level.

Hey Jason Couture……

“Let’s be honest you hate the fact that the fans are on the cusp of voting all Habs to the All Star game.”

Maybe you should read one of the tons of articles about Montreal BALLOT STUFFING….that would be CHEATING. They’re saying the players are pissed, the organization is pissed and the NHL is revoking votes………..The All Star game sucks anyways.

The whole Huet trade last year baffled me. It made me hate Huet. If that trade had never been made I believe that the Caps wouldnt have had the run they had, the Canes would of made the playoffs, and screw a return in Montreal, all they got was a 3rd rounder anyways according to Steve, I believe Montreal would of had a better run in the playoffs had they kept Huet. It may of cost them that 3rd rounder, but whatever, the cup is worth all.

GO CANES…….Rudinos has $2 Bud Lights and Center Ice on the Roof Top Bar…….I’ll be the guy in the Canes sweater!

Wow! Very insightful. I have been reading articles by sports journalists, and listening to them all over the airwaves, and Carey Price has been praised for something he has not yet accomplished. The same thing with “Sid the Kid”. He too is a good hockey player – a very good player – but he is not a “great” one. The two Alex’ in Washington and Nash, Franzen, Zetterberg, Hossa, Alfredson and a bunch more very good hockey players have outperformed Crosby this year – by a wide margin. Sidney Crosby is not the greatest hockey player on the planet and I would not choose Carey price in goal to stop him in a shootout. The media can stop jamming both of them down our throats – and stop trying to save hockey here in Canada. We don’t need a “Great One” – we’re doing well here folks! Can’t stand the Leafs on CBC every Saturday Night, but CBC great network so I suppose they know what’s best.

Halak started in one game during the Philly series, Carey started in four. Habs lost in five.

Good article. I am a fan of Halak (as well as Price) and I often am annoyed by all the hype… People sometimes get so caught up in the fact that he has so much potential, and don’t pay attention meanwhile to his actual performance, or that it doesn’t really matter because he WILL be amazing one day.

you’re an idiot.

you didn’t do your homework. the habs didn’t shutout philly in the first game, they took it in OT. secondly, i am pretty sure halak got one of the starts after carey’s less than stellar performance in previous games in the playoffs. while i agree he is one of the reasons the habs couldn’t get out of philly, he shouldn’t shoulder the blame for an entire team’s shortcomings. the NHL is a different league than it was in patrick roy’s time. players don’t win championships, teams do. up here in kanaaada we support our players and nurture them when they are young. the kid is 19 years old. of course he needs some work, both physically and mentally, but he has the potential to be one of the best goalies in the league. i don’t really understand where you are coming from.

Yes MuntreeAll … the shutout was actually in the deciding game vs. Boston. In looking through Price’s Game-by-game performances last season in the playoffs, I forgot Halak got the nod after Price struggled in Game 2 and got pulled in Game 3. Halak lost Game 4 and Price was back in for Game 5 and gave up five.

I couldn’t agree more with your team assessment. Which confuses me more as to why Price is spoken of like a god by the mainstream hockey media (The Hockey News, TSN, XM Radio — except Boomer! — ect.).

i want to say cory good article! i enjoyed reading it and having a good laugh! eventhough you did a great job on this story you carolinans better stick to the daytona500 and not cover hockey! your out of your league on in over your head! price is a good goalie a very good young goalie! INFACT TELL ME ANOTHER N.H.L FRANCHISE THAT HAS A GOALIE WITH HIS MAKEU-UP! THIS INCLUDES WARD ON YOUR HURRICANES AND FLEURY IN PITTSBURGH! WHO I THINK PRICE IS BETTER THAN BOTH!yeah he struggled and lost to philly in the playoffs we get that! he played half a season last year and his sv% was better than wards he almost had as many wins! over a full season he would’ve won over 30 games! you menyioned that 85-86 era with fuhr and roy! well the oilers had to score 5 goals or more a game because fuhr was brutual and would give up 4! montreal didn’t have the talent or fire power that thew oilers had back then and roy was there savior! put fuhr in those games for the canadiens and see if would’ve won those 2 cups! i think not!to the guy that said that crosby is nothing wake up! he the best player on the planet! and the youngest n.h.l scoring champion in league history and when it’s all said and done he will win it again this year!if you guys want to really understand hockey ask the most knowledge man on the t.v. today the nexttime the hurricanes have a game being broadcasted in canada! pieree macguire and after you listen to his insight! you will understand this hype about price! and crosby!

THE CHOSEN 1 HAS ARRIVEDE,HIS NAME IS CAREY PRICE! JESUS PRICE! THE PRICE IS RIGHT!

also i don’t know why there is so much talk aboutthe trading of huet1 price has done something in a half a year that huet has never done and that’s win a playoff series,and he also did something that roy and dryden didn’t do in there first year post 2 shout outs in the playoffs!

Good article Cory.

Good to read different perspectives fron the “ennemy”. Your arguments are justified and making a lot of sense.

As a true Habs fan, I am disappointed at times with some questionable goals and moves, but at the end of the day, we all notice that Carey Price is a winner. He wins game.

His stature, youth, potential, and legendary calm personality makes this “above average” young goaltender something to be excited about for Habs fan.

Keep in mind that the kid while learning still find the way to win… at this stat matter more than any other.

Looking forward to tonight’s game.

Thanks for posting David. Yes, there’s plenty to be excited about with Price. I think, though, he’s reminiscent of Ward with the cool demeanor for his age. Carolina fans know all about this and saw what Ward was capable of. He’s been haunted by those expectations since. Granted, no one can ever take away the Cup and Conn Smythe he won, but that doesn’t keep many from questioning if he’s the answer in Raleigh long term.

John — Fuhr was brutal? Whaaa? Did you watch games back then? I don’t know that anyone ever faced as many odd-man chances as Fuhr did with those Oilers teams. Also, we hear plenty of Pierre Maguire — he’s on NBC broadcasts and is also on XM quite a bit, plus Center Ice and NHL Network affords us plenty of insight into how Canada covers hockey.

I am not only from north of the boarder, I am from La Belle Province of Quebec.

Your article is true except for one thing, people up hear are saying exactly what you are saying. Your article is not very original.

did John just try to bolster his argument with a reference to Pe-Yoooh Maguire? LOL! Every time I see that clown I want him to catch one in the forehead.

U think some of you habs fan are so rabid you missed the point. NO one said Price aint good, it’s just that he should probably accomplish a few things prior to being anointed God of the Crease. Just sayin.

That’s a really good post.

We Leaf fans like to call him Jim Carey Price in the hopes that he’ll have a similar career arc.

Good article, Cory. It is also great to see so many Habs fans weigh in, especially when they like to debate hockey without SHOUTING or resorting to insults.

PPP and Canes Country … on the same team this week. LOL.

I must say I am impressed that this article has gone 30 posts without any real “fightin”. John did throw in the “all original, brand new, never heard before” Daytona 500 joke….guys a genius! I mean who comes up with this stuff??!!. Hardy-har, but after reading his comment……well, whatever John. Im with Marc, Good article Cory, and it is great to debate with the neighbors of the north without shouting and yelling! I too Poulin am looking forward to tonights game!

How does Carey deal with those pesky stigmata?

Prices demeanor reminds me a lot of Wards and they both show they are adept in the fundamentals of goaltending but both seem to lack consistency and focus. This is understandable for Price at his age but Ward has played enough games where this should no longer be an issue. the responses from some montreal fans really show their insecurities, I guess 15 years of losing does that to you.

Nothing else to write about in Canes Country? Probably not as either team (Canes/Habs) are in a mini-slump… surely this will be your most popular post of the year as commenting on the Habs always brings out the fans.

People in Habsland have said everything you have said here before, and more besides. It must be easy to research the Canadiens as you just need to dip into HFBoards for 1/2 an hour.

It’s pretty disingenous to paint the Montreal fanbase with the trite reference to ‘Jesus Price’ — maybe 1 in 15 of the hardcore Montreal (i.e. the city) fans might do that, but those of us who live outside the media machine in that city have nothing to go on but the games themselves. And many, many thousands of Canadiens fans use objectivity to come to the same conclusions you have.

The fact is, players get more hype here in Canada period – as you noted with our love of the WJC. Price’s case isn’t special in that regard, again as you noted with Toews/Kane – so why bother making a big deal there?

For the record I saw Price in back-to-back games in the AHL playoffs vs. the Manitoba Moose last year, and he was far and away the best player on the ice. His team let plenty of shots get at him from point blank range and he coolly stopped them like they were beach balls.

That Bulldogs team was good, but Carey Price was the MVP for a reason.

Let’s revisit his numbers at the end of the season and see if you’re a believer at that point. Meantime, keep writing about the Habs, they’re an easy target for you.

Canadians love the World Juniors because before the Olympics went all professional, it was the one tourney we could see all of our best versus the rest of the world. And while Canada usually enters those tournaments as a prohibitive favourite, the Canadian team Price backstopped wasn’t the overwhelming choice of the experts. Of course, the shootout heroics made Price and Toews household names in Canada, but don’t forget that Martin Lapointe went to Chicago management and demanded a 19 year old Toews be made captain in training camp. As great a scorer as Kane is, Toews could be something special a la Ronnie Francis or Steve Yzerman. That’s why his hype machine is off the charts. As for Price? We Habs fans love having a superstar to lionize and the romantic notion of the torch passing from Morenz to Rocket to Beliveau to Lafleur to Roy to someone/anyone might make some fans a little eager to anoint Price the next one. Until he flames out entirely, best get used to the Price as Saviour talk. We’ll hold on to this notion like grim death.

Hehehehehehe…As a big time Habs fan who lives 30 minutes from the promised land…I have seen him several times and can tell you Carey Price is the real deal. He is doing what all great young goalies do in today’s NHL…making mistakes and maturing through OJT. He shows you brilliance one game and then lays a egg in the next as he develops – mostly mental shortfalls, but he is way ahead of his time in this category. I would agree with Corey in that a lot of young players get the buzz before proving themselves and Carey is no different. He needs to demonstrate his skills over the next few years, maybe even win, before we compare him to the great goaltenders of yesteryear.

And to the laugh, excuse me, leaf fans…you had your couple of good years, its time for us to have our 25 again now. Enjoy the rebuild! (I just could not help myself – even on a Canes message board).

Hey, if any of you Habs fans are making the trip down to Raleigh tonite be sure to bring your cameras. Tonite you may have a once in a lifetime chance to glimpse the extremely rare, endangered species known as the “Redneck Snowflake”. Also known as an “Extremely Light Flurry”. This particular breed usually passes through this small slice of the world only once or twice a year and usually travels in small packs of 5-10!! Yee Haww!! Git Ur Mudboggers gassed up and pack a cooler full of cold beer, we’s gonna git a millimeter of snow!

GO CANES!!!

Wow. Cory, if you don’t understand the furor surrounding Carey Price then you don’t really understand hockey very well, and you don’t have the slightest clue about hockey in Montreal, which I might say is not the same as hockey in NC.

Rusty a little with the Carolina Hurricanes news, could you hockey fans from the southeast describe the overall picture of the year’s Hurricane crew?

- Goaltending
- Overall offense and defense
- Attendance
- Hurricane Cheerleaders

Thank you in advance for your inputs.

John … dude chill. You are not impressing and scaring anybody from a computer…

Don’t be so blind to other’s view on our prodige goaltender.

Go Habs Go

David:

Goaltending: Ward has been hot and cold all season, and it hasn’t been game to game but shot to shot. He’s capable of being the best guy on the ice or the reason the team loses a game.

Offense: Struggling mightily. The PP has picked up but the 5-on-5 play has been terrible of late. Staal is really struggling (we’re guessing lingering shoulder injury from Drew Doughty hit early in the season), and Samsonov, though giving effort, has been snake bitten. Scott Walker and Brandon Sutter are playing well, and Ryan Bayda has been a pleasant surprise. Brind’Amour’s been slowed recovering from knee surgery, but has been an ace in the faceoff circle and is starting to score important goals at key moments. Patrick Eaves is goalless and relegated to the fourth line. Chad Larose has had a good start. Wade Brookbank is on a goal-scoring streak. He’s at one game ;)

Defense: It’s much improved, but at times the D can pinch too much and leave the team vulnerable to odd-man rushes. Pitkanen is rounding into form after an early season injury, and Seidenberg has been a minute-eater and all situations guy. Gleason has been good, not great, and Corvo has run hot and cold. Babchuk has been serviceable and Wallin is having a bounceback year. The point production from the back end is way better than last year.

Cheerleaders: Sweet as sweet tea, for the most part.

The thing is, I haven’t seen any transcendent performances from Price this season, and his numbers (8-3-1, 2.56, .920), while good, are in the middle of the pack and pale in comparison to those put up by Tim Thomas, Roberto Luongo, Henrik Lundqvist, Niklas Backstrom and Ryan Miller

I don’t know if you noticed but he just turned 21 years old. If you want to look at his numbers IN PERSPECTIVE, maybe you should look at them in comparison to his peers at 21 YEARS OLD.

http://fantasysensearticles.blogspot.com/2008/10/carey-price-future-is-now.html

Comparing Halak’s numbers to his from 2007 and saying he was ordinary is akin to comparing Price’s numbers in the regular season to his playoff numbers last year.
The playoffs are a different beast altogether. How about watching some of those AHL playoff games before making a judgement. The Bulldogs WOULD NOT have won the Calder Cup with Halak, they were a middle of the pack team with him all year.

Nice way to get some hits though

Good stuff Cory.

I feel an uncertain feeling over the overall team potential to make the playoff. Seems like the team is trying to keep their head above water. I remember those dark days following Patrick Roy’s departure…

However, because of those dark days, the Habs fan now appreciate to be in good hands (Bob Gainey). We took for granted the “Winning Tradition” and needed this major slap in the face in order to build from within and compete with this ‘high parity level’ league. In Bob Gainey We Trust.

Well, I do know where to come by when Habs vs. Canes matchups occur. Good luck Canes fan tonight and this season. Would love a revenge playoff match up…

You ask about the 2007 WJC teams and the 2007 Hamilton Bulldogs. I’ll give you this:

The 2007 WJC team for Canada wasn’t nearly as strong as the results showed. Canada had not won the tournament in Europe for close to a decade, and the USA team was considered the favourite. The US were led by the two Johnsons on D, Peter Mueller, Patrick Kane, Brian Lee, Jack Skille, Justin Abdelkader, Nathan Gerbe, James Van Riemsdyk, Kyle Okposo, and Trevor Lewis. But in reality, the teams were still pretty even. The semifinal went to OT and a shootout.

People talk about Price in that shootout, but what was impressive was the OT. I believe the shots in OT were 10-0 USA at one point, as they got a 5 on 3 advantage. Price was brilliant, and the #1 reason BY FAR why Canada won gold. In previous tournaments, Canada demolished their opposition. The biggest goal differential in 2007 for Canada was 3 goals, and 6 was their highest goals for total. Contrast that to the two previous years, with Canada demolishing Russia in the goal medal game by 5 goals. The gold medal game in 2007 was a 4-2 Canada win.

As for the Bulldogs in 2007, the Bulldogs were outshot in EVERY series, and by large margins in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Only on defenseman from that team is currently in the NHL, that being Ryan O’Byrne. Not many forwards have made it since then, either. Andrei Kostitsyn was injured for most of the playoffs, leaving Maxim Lapierre and Zach Stortini as the only forwards that played consistently on that team in the NHL currently. Kyle Chipchura, who has played close to 40 NHL games since, was also on that team. An NHL GM scouting the playoffs called it the most dominant goaltending performance he’d seen at any level.

The Bulldogs, this “great defensive team”, finished 3rd in their division that year. Halak was great that year, but Yann Danis was pretty average. Simply put, Halak and Price were the two best goalies in the AHL that season.

Goaltending prospects are just that, but Price has provided plenty of evidence for his hype. That doesn’t make him a top NHL goalie at age 21, but what he has done is more than enough to make him the best goalie that is 21 or under in the world.

Good arcticle Wamsley…

The “Law of Large Numbers” will justify the truth down the road. While scare to repeat myself on this one, I will say it again… Carey Price while learning the ropes is still winning. That is a scary thought. While in good hands (Coach Melanson), with a great stature and great attitude… the future is indeed very bright for the “Bleu Blanc Rouge”.

I think the better question is why are so many people intent on devaluing Carey Price? Who cares if Habs fans are over-excited; that’s what happens when you actually have fans that care about their hockey team. We don’t need some guy from Carolina, who sees Price play 4 times a year, telling us why Carey Price is not as good as we think/hope.

Do us a favor Cory, try writing about the Canes in attempts to draw some attention to what is currently an embarassment of a franchise.

I’m a little late, but I like your article. As other habs fans have already said, it’s nice to have a different perspective on the players you follow, especially if it’s a fair and argumented one.

Good luck for tonight’s game.

ALA Michel Therrien

You mean the same Carey Price that went 6-0 with a 1.14 GAA and .961 save percentage at the World Junior Championship to help with the championship and tournament MVP?

Do you mean the same Carey Price that then guided his AHL team to the Calder cup? ( And don’t give me the " Best minor league team in the world" bs 5 minutes of research debunks that theory)

Do you mean the same Carey Price that went 12-3 down the playoff stretch in the most pressure packed city in the world?

I could go on, however how many accomplishments would he have to achieve before you would stop attributing it to good luck? If you’d like I can provide a number of youtube links featuring some of the saves Carey has made this season alone. Not sure you’ve seen them.

I’ve read you’re stuff before Cory and I do enjoy your Blogs. But I’m afraid you didn’t cover your basis well on this one.

Price deserves all the hype he gets. He’s been stellar, and shows potential of being an absolute superstar not just the slightly above average goalie you’re hinting he might wind up.

Not to take away from Cam Ward as I love Cam Ward. I watched the playoff run a few years ago, and I love what he does for hockey Canada however Price far exceeds Ward in potential and most people will tell you he’s better right now.

Cory are you worried you guys are going to lose again tonight or something?

Cory,

Really really well done. I read the title and thought here’s another Stan Fishler ‘Price is a stiff’ fiasco.

While Price is far from a stiff, he’s far from the current hype. It is going to be interesting to see how he performs and grows as this team looks to find it’s game in the early part of this season.

I’ve seen most of Price’s starts in Montreal. I’m not sure what to make of him. Most nights he’s cool as a cucumber which should bode well in the Montreal fishbowl. Some nights, he makes you wonder if he should maybe play with a greater sense of desperation.

Enjoyed your take on his game to date.

Peter said:
“Price deserves all the hype he gets. He’s been stellar, and shows potential of being an absolute superstar not just the slightly above average goalie you’re hinting he might wind up.”

Did you read what I wrote? I said he’s not there yet, so let’s hold off on naming him the next Habs HOF goalie.

Not to take away from Cam Ward as I love Cam Ward. I watched the playoff run a few years ago, and I love what he does for hockey Canada however Price far exceeds Ward in potential and most people will tell you he’s better right now.

No arguments there, really. This wasn’t a Cam vs. Carey thing. That being said, Ward has some hardware that’s tough to ignore.

Cory are you worried you guys are going to lose again tonight or something?

It wasn’t about tonight either. It just made sense to do it leading up to the Montreal game. I was set to write this after he gave up a dreadful goal vs. Carolina in the game at the Bell Center — something I’ve seen him do too often in his young career, yet still gets treated like Patrick Roy 2.0 — but didn’t get to it the day after that game.

I just want the kid to earn the hype instead of getting it w/o the accomplishments. I guess the big point would be … couldn’t this team be just as good right now with Halak in goal? Maybe not, but it’s not absurd to suggest. To me that means Price — at this point in his career — isn’t yet indispensable like many would lead one to believe. Could he become that? Sure could. But he hasn’t yet.**

5-0 habs tonight….

“couldn’t this team be just as good right now with Halak in goal? Maybe not, but it’s not absurd to suggest”

See most habs fans (including myself) would tell you this is indeed absurd to suggest. Halak is a good young goalie as well but Price brings a confidence to the team I haven’t seen sense Roy. I think you have forgotten how quickly this team has turned around in the last year and a HUGE part of it is because of the hype and confidence around Carey.

I am also cautiously optimistic and I am not naming him the next Patrick or even HOF goalie but I think we can both agree the potential is obviously there.

I just don’t understand how you would question the hype around him?

Great young goalie, showing signs of brilliance @ 21. Many accomplishments.

Why not the hype?

Cory, you sure put a stick in the hornets nest with this one.

I think the habs fanbase is a little oversensitive regarding this issue.

Bottom line is, HE AINT THERE YET. He may be on track to be the beast the media have portrayed him, but HE AINT THERE YET. He may one day be an irrefutable lock for HOF but HE AINT THERE YET. He may one day be Conne Smythe but HE AINT THERE YET.

And I forgot to mention.

Winning The World Junior MVP is one of the biggest accomplishments a hockey player can win in their career.

Playing for your country @ 17-18 with your NHL career on the line.

I’ve heard many a player mention the World Junior Tournement up their with their favorite moments of their careers.

Interesting article. A couple of facts are wrong and must be corrected.

Price did not play the five playoff games against Philly. He won the first game, lost two, Halak lost one, then Price lost the last one. So those stats are incorrect.

Second of all, the Hamilton Bulldogs had barely qualified for the playoffs that year. They were pencilled in for a first round exit against Rochester (the extremely powerful Sabres affiliate at the time) and the Hershey Bears (who were a powerhouse at the time.) So we can say with certainty that Price’s performance was groundbreaking.(Thus earning the Conn Smythe of the AHL)

Also, people think Toews will be better because he is the complete package, a franchise center to build your team around.

Aside from that, fairly objective and opinionated blog! Thanks for the read.

Interesting article, but I noticed a few things that I wanted to point out. Huet and the Capitals did not make it past the first round of the playoffs. Gainey knew that Huet was not coming back to Montreal, so might as well get something for him rather than nothing. (Montreal got a second round draft pick for Huet who now plays in Chicago and not Washington.) Game one of the semi finals was not a shutout, that was game 7 of the quarter finals. there were only 4 games after the game one win in the semi’s. price did not start every game against the flyers, Halak started one game where he did no better than price.
About his stats this year, yes he has given up some weak goals, but his team in front of him has not be perfect either. currently Montreal is in a big slump on the power play, which was a big factor in their successes last year, not to mention the lack of offensive support in some games. The biggest problem I have noticed with Price is that he is inconsistent. In a three game stretch recently he has given up 6 goals against Toronto, a shutout against Ottawa, and 6 goals against Boston. Overall I agree that Price is yet to be the best goalie in the league, but he definitely has the potential to be.
I am a Habs fan born in Montreal but currently living in Florida. This post was not meant for people to see it my way, I just wanted to point out what I had noticed.

Great article, Im impressed and would have to agree with you. As a big Montreal fan I could tell you that I dont want to judge him this soon either. As far as I’m concerned our back up goalie Halak is posting pretty similar results. I wouldnt even be able to tell you which one is better at the moment. To compare him to Dryden or Roy is a bit out of proportion if you ask me. Anyways enjoy the game you guys, hopefully itll be a good one.

P.S. If you want to watch the game online I have links of free streams on my blog.- http://habsonlinetv.blogspot.com/

Price is the real deal and time will prove he is the next Brodeur or Luongo in this league. He is a winner at every level so far and at times he makes tough save look easy. Once he matures he will surely be the best tender in the NHL.

Up front, I am a Habs fan, and I do think there is a lot of hype regarding Price. However, when you factor age, accomplishments, and his general demeanor, there is something special about the kid. Most analysts see a great future in Carey Price. Technically, he is very sound, a great size and tremendous lateral movement, in a hybrid butterfly style. He is also very calm and composed—again belying his young age and general lack of experience.

When he was drafted, most fans were disappointed—you have to remember former MVP and Vezina winner Jose Theodore had not yet begun to self-destruct. So most fans questioned wasting a high reward pick for what was percieved a position of strength in the system.

Most Habs fans feel thank their lucky stars that the Habs approached the pick from a best player available perspective.

Price has moved up quickly in the organization. Not because it was given to him, but because he was ready. He is a starting goaltender for one of the most storied franchises in hockey and has to contend with media mania that goes with playing in Montreal.

His numbers have been very good since joining the league. His fortune coincides with the Habs rise in forune obviously, but I would argue that he was a significant ingredient in the Canadiens emergence as top tier team.

Is he an elite goalie? Not yet, time and the future will tell. But at 21 years of age and to have accomplished what he has and is accomplished, it is safe to say that he is one of elite prospects, up there with Kane and Toews.

Well…I hope you watched the game tonight and you would have seen how stellar Price was was. the only difference: he didn’t have the best-prepared (mentally) team in front of him. Most of today was a show which gave away the potential and the talent of Price. Stopping a career-high 48 shots, Carey must have proved you wrong. He has been pretty strong and it is foolish to blame him for all the losses!

Thank you Habs fans for the good conversation. See you next time.

Boris, thank you for the link to the live-streaming.

Habs fans might not want to face facts, but fact is Price lets in some weak-@zz goals on a lot of nights.

He might one day prove to be a dominant goalie. But right now he’s over-hyped. Like much of he rest of his team.

The only way Boston took the Habs to 7 games last playoffs was because Price stunk in several of those games. And I"m a Bruins fan.

Just because the Priceberg is overhyped doesn’t mean he isn’t the real deal.

WTF? obviously Kane and Toews don’t get as much publicity, chicago wasnt even televising games for a while before last season. “But it didn’t quite go as planned for Price in his first Stanley Cup playoff appearance” – so you would have expected him to win the cup and the conn smythe? Wake up buddy… miracles don’t happen everyday.

- I’m sure someone probably mentioned this, as I couldn’t be bothered to read all the comments, but Halak started at least one game against Philly

- I take your point generally about the Philadelphia series. Price was not very good. Fatigue might have been a factor, but it was more about bad goals, especially floaters that he couldn’t catch. Mental things. And its funny how people forget things about playoff series, but I kept hearing about how Montreal “ran into a wall” against Philadelphia, but they really outplayed the Flyers for virtually the whole series (after being outplayed by the surprising Bruins in the first round, to be fair).

- You might not remember that Junior tournament very well, but even though Canada was strong as a whole, Price was pretty incredible. I’m not sure, but I think there was a PK in OT of the final game where Price was just insane. It was hardly a Chris Osgoode thing, Canada might have been stacked, but Price was definitely the best player there. I’ll conveniently forget the, ahem, high scoring shootout that followed.

- I forget where I heard this, but someone, maybe even Bob McKenzie, said that Price’s Memorial Cup run was one of the “most dominant performances by a goaltender at any level”. worth mentioning.

- comparing his stats with Halaks doesn’t really cheapen Price’s contributions. Halak has always had very good numbers himself, so it doesn’t quite have the negative connotation you suggest.