Carey Price could be an important contributor to the Canadiens' playoff hopes. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
Yes, Jaroslav Halak can be considered the No. 1 goaltender (even if his coach hasn’t publicly anointed him as such). And yes, he will be a big part of the Canadiens’ push to the playoffs. Obviously he won’t be alone in that venture, as contributions from throughout the roster will be necessary.
While the team will need everyone to do their part, there’s one guy whose role could be more important than one might realize: Carey Price.
The Habs kick off their remaining 19 games in 40 days on Tuesday night in Boston. Ten of those will be on the road while six will be part of a back-to-back set. All but three games in the month of March are against teams eyeing a spot in the top eight. One of those non-playoff bound clubs is the Maple Leafs, who always tend to step up their game against Montreal.
The games will be a grind and teams will be pushing.
Price’s struggles this season aside, his numbers are still respectable (2.81 goals-against, .911 save percentage). And although Halak is expected to get the bulk of the work from here on in, his impressive run on the Olympic stage could be a factor down the road.
The young Slovak is heading into new territory as the stretch run gets underway. He started the week with 30 appearances under his belt, just five shy of setting a new NHL career high. Add the seven games in 10 days he suited up for in Vancouver and fatigue could potentially affect the 24-year-old. That’s not to say it will but it’s something to keep in mind. After all, it’s a situation the team has faced in the past.
Price played a lot of hockey in 2007-08, with World Junior Championship gold and a Calder Cup preceding his 52 NHL games (41 regular season, 11 in the playoffs). Certainly, he – nor the team – hasn’t forgotten how worn down he was when all was said and done.
By the same token, it’s also unlikely that the young netminder has forgotten what made him successful not just back then but also at times this year, even with a confidence level full of peaks and valleys.
As the debate rages on over which goaltender the Canadiens should keep come season’s end (re-signing both is doubtful), they’ll truly have to work in tandem in the meantime.
“In this case, we both think we’re pretty good goalies, we both want to play, we both push each other to be better,” Price told the Canadian Press. “We’re both concentrating on helping our team make the playoffs and do well in the playoffs. You don’t want to just make the playoffs, you want to make some noise in the playoffs and both of us will have to play well for that to happen.”
For Price, that opportunity begins March 2 against the Bruins.
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