Carey Price

Don't include Gazette hockey writer Red Fisher among those who believe fans acted unreasonably by heckling Canadiens goalie Carey Price during Game 4 of the Habs-Bruins series.

"It's true Price didn't get a lot of help from his teammates, but for the second year in a row he faltered when it mattered the most," Fisher writes today.

"Those people in the Bell Centre crowd who mocked Price were unhappy. They were disappointed - and showed it in the only way crowds everywhere do. Price was unhappy with it and reacted to it in the worst way possible."

This is just thinking aloud, nothing more:

Carey Price was on Bell Centre morning-skate ice fve minutes before Jaro Halak. Price has taken the net at the end the Canadiens will defend for two periods, which more often than not is where the night's starting goaltender warms up.

All of which might be one more way the Canadiens will attempt to throw journalists, and the spying Bruins, off for just a while longer.

Confirmation expected to come from Bob Gainey by noon.

In other roster news, former trainer Eddy Palchak is behind the Canadiens bench, so look for a shakeup there. (Eddy's there, but just kidding on the other part.)

The first two playoff games down in Boston have been humbling affairs for our Montreal Canadiens. They were soundly out-muscled and clearly out-played. The Bruins played well in Game 1 and they played damn well in Game 2. The Habs played decently in Game 1 and piss-poor on Saturday. Game 3 will truly show what these 2008-2009 Montreal Canadiens are made of.
We’re down 2-0. We were given a good spanking on Saturday. And now, at home, we can prove that we deserve to still be competing.
We need to redeem ourselves. We need to claw back into this series. We need to take advantage of a Lucic-less Boston team.
Continue reading "From Milan to Montreal" »

2007/08 Alex Kovalev GP82 G35 A49 P84; +18 2008/09 Alex Kovalev GP78 G29 A39 P65; -4
2007/08 Tomas Plekanec G81 G29 A40 P69; +15 2008/09 Tomas Plekanec G80 G20 A19 P39; -9
2007/08 CH Mark Streit GP81 G13 A49 P62; -6 2008/09 NYI Mark Streit GP74 G16 A40 P56; +6
2007/08 Andrei Markov GP82 G16 A42 P58; +1 2008/09 Andrei Markov GP78 G12 A52 P68; -2
2007/08 Saku Koivu GP77 G16 A40 P56; -4 2008/09 Saku Koivu GP65 G16 A34 P50; +4
...

At this point last season, the high flying Habs were, well, flying high. Les Glorieux were surging into the playoffs full of confidence - first in the Eastern Conference; a dominant powerplay; a strong mix of veterans and youth; and a high-powered offense led by the top line of Alex Kovalev, Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn.
A year later the Habs are plummeting into the playoffs, wings clipped, expectations broken and instead of hope, question marks and uncertainty loom on the horizon.
Continue reading "What a Difference a Year Makes" »

Canadiens goalie Jaroslav Halak makes a stop on Islanders' Frans Nielsen last night on Long Island.
Bruce Bennett, Getty Images

Look for Jaroslav Halak to get his second consecutive start in goal tomorrow night in Toronto, the still-ailing Carey Price not fit to face the Maple Leafs. Pat Hickey says that Price has been for all intents and purposes quarantined in his Toronto hotel room (so presumably roommate Josh Gorges was upgraded to a single?).

Andrei Kostitsyn seems highly doubtful to play tomorrow, having been cut over the eye by a high stick last night on Long Island. But there are suggestions, too, that he could be a healthy scratch. Last time the Kostitsyn brothers' parents come to North America: Sergei was drilled into the boards and missed last night's game, and now Andrei is hammered.

Goaltending callup Marc Denis was returned to Hamilton to play with the Bulldogs tonight, but will be back to support Halak tomorrow in Toronto.

The Canadiens did not practice today, but instead had a team meeting at the Ricoh Centre.

Pat Hickey checks in from Long Island to report that there's doubt whether goaltender Carey Price will play tonight as scheduled against the New York Islanders.

Price didn't take part in the morning skate, remaining at the team's hotel with what appears to be the flu.

Watch for the Canadiens to recall Marc Denis from Hamilton later in the day as a backup to probable starter Jaroslav Halak, who hasn't played since suffering a 5-2 loss against Toronto on March 21.

Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau has decided to start Carey Price against the Dallas Stars on Sunday night, his third straight start.

Price lost his last two starts, but put in a good effort against the Atlanta Thrashers on Friday night, but his teammates generated no offence in a 2-0 loss.

Jaroslav Halak, who has won his last four starts, will watch from the bench despite being fully recovered from a battle with the flu.

... Carey Price is great in Buffalo?

Assuming Jaro Halk has recovered, who starts Friday night in Atlanta?

I say Price.

(Unless, of course, the Canadiens wild and crazy general manager deals The Franchise in a blockbuster deal tomorrow).

On CKAC this afternoon, Martin McGuire reported Price has been working very hard in practice. He's the first one on the ice with the injured guys and often the last to leave.

Implicit in McGuire's praise is the notion that Price's work habits have not always been exemplary.

If the kid has the kind of pride I think he does, Price will be great against the Sabres.

•  •  •

Factoring in Robert Lang's injury and various shuffles to and from Hamilton, McGuire calculates the Canadiens have $3.7 million worth of wiggle room on an acquisition tomorrow.

To that you can add the salary of a player or players going the other way.

Mathieu Dandenault's $1.7. for example, would bring the ceiling value of an acquired player up to $5.4 million.

Ron Fournier, on the same broadcast, said the Canadiens might be interested in Michael Nylander, whose salary – $4.875 million against the cap, this season and next – Washington might want to shed in order to make another move.

Carey Price is on Brossard ice breaking in his new WHITE pads. They look a lot like his old white pads, except for the CH logo above the knee, exactly where it appeared on his unmourned red ones.

And no, we don't know what he's eventually going to do with the old pads, red or white...

Carey Price with his Vaughn equipment rep Jorg Achenbach last March with the new white pads Price soon would be wearing.
Gazette photo

Carey Price, one of the least superstitious goaltenders you'll find, has dumped his month-old red pads and is returning to the white ones in which he enjoyed considerably more success.

The new pads, which will feature the CH logo above the knee as it appears on the red pair, are shipping today from the Vaughn factory in London, Ont.

We profiled Price's graphically redesigned white pads last March in The Gazette; that story appears below. From it:

It's not a lack of imagination that colours his pads white, save the trim. It's all about deceiving shooters, who might have trouble distinguishing pads from ice and boards, and with the optical illusion of making himself look huge.

Continue reading "Price dumps red pads, back in white" »

Canadiens goaltender Carey Price made the morning truly unforgettable for a group of nearly 1,000 First Nations children and adults today, putting aside his personal disappointment to share with them a message of keeping your head up and doing your best in life.

Helping to organize the remarkable day were Gino Odjick, a former Canadien and influential First Nations figure, and Lynda Price, the goalie's mother and chief of the Ulkatcho First Nation in Anahim Lake, B.C., where Price was born.

Continue reading "Price inspires 1,000 First Nations fans" »

Invest some time with this fine piece by Elliotte Friedman of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, who looks at Carey Price through the eyes of a few people who know their stuff.

The cover story in the newest edition of ESPN, the magazine, features Habs goalie Carey Price.

That, you already know.

But if you're not planning on picking up the Mag, the story is now available online.

They do a pretty good job, although those of us who live in Montreal around Habs mania every day would probably have a few quibbles with some minor issues in the piece.

Continue reading "Carey Price, ESPN the Mag cover boy" »

The Canadiens returned goaltender Marc Denis to the Hamilton Bulldogs yesterday.

The move clears the way for the return of Carey Price this week, Price expected to be in uniform tomorrow night in Atlanta. Captain Saku Koivu and forward Christopher Higgins should be back soon.

More to come from the team's late morning practice in Brossard.

Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is featured as the cover story of the Jan. 26 issue of ESPN The Magazine, profiled by writer Lindsay Berra.

Continue reading "Price hits cover of ESPN The Magazine" »

Canadiens goalie Carey Price was on Brossard ice briefly this morning, working out with goaltending coach Rollie Melanson and strength and conditioning coordinator Scott Livingston, 70 minutes before the scheduled start of practice.

He was on the ice at 10:40 when I arrived, and now, at 10:54, he's off. The ice isn't badly scratched up, so he wasn't out there long.

Price continues to rehab what's reported to be an ankle injury, and is still listed as day-to-day. He was doing a few lateral-movement drills in the crease. And for what it's worth, he was in the new red pads that he'l wear in the All-Star Game, colour coordinated to the Eastern Conference jersey.

At 11:25, Saku Koivu is on the ice with Melanson, shooting on goalie Marc Denis. The plan stated earlier in the week was for Koivu, rehabbing an ankle sprain, to take part in yesterday's morning skate, practice today and possibly play tomorrow vs. Washington. We'll see if that plan changes with yesterday's morning skate having been scratched.

More from practice later.

The Canadiens will need a strong performance from Jaro Halak tomorrow night in New York.
Pierre Obendrauf, Gazette

From Pat Hickey in beautiful downtown Brossard:

• Look for goalie Jaroslav Halak in goal for the Canadiens tomorrow night against the Rangers in New York. Halak is looking to rebound from two soft games in a row which yielded four goals to the New Jersey Devils and five to the Florida Panthers.

• No. 1 netminder Carey Price didn't practice with the club today, still rehabbing a lower-body injury. He's still listed as day-to-day, though he's not skated with any intensity since last week's shootout win over Tampa Bay in Florida. He was on the ice for maybe five minutes yesterday. No truth to any rumour that Price has mononucleosis.

• Captain Saku Koivu (foot) skated before today's practice and hung around on the ice with teammates before the real session began. The plan is for him to take part in Thursday's morning skate, practice Friday then play Saturday against Washington.

• Christopher Higgins (shoulder) might be the next-closest to being ready to return, perhaps 7-10 days, but the team won't rush him. Don't expect to see him until after the all-star break.

Carey Price gets the start in goal tonight, having backed up Jaro Halak last night. Price has missed the past six games with the flu, but mostly while rehabbing a quadriceps/knee injury.

Canadiens goalie Carey Price in the team's Brossard dressing room last week wearing a pair of 1970s pads, gloves from the 1950s and a replica of the mask Jacques Plante wore into a game on Nov. 1, 1959, changing the face of goaltending forever. See a gallery of many more photos here.
Dave Sidaway, Gazette

DAVE STUBBS
The Gazette

Canadiens goalie Carey Price shoves his hand into the 50-year-old stick-hand blocker, a glove more than twice his age, and wears the look of a man who’s just pushed his palm into a pailful of liver.

He is similarly impressed with the flimsy catching mitt. And the 1970s-vintage chest protector, which is barely more than a thick undershirt.

“This isn’t protection,” Price says incredulously. “It’s suicide. Can you imagine me going out there like this? For even one practice? No chance.”

Nearby, defenceman Josh Gorges is shaking his head sadly at the opportunity lost.

Continue reading "New/old look for goalies Price, Halak" »

Canadiens defenceman Mike Komisarek hopes the doctor clears him to return to action tonight. The team could use him against the red-hot Philadelphia Flyers.
Dave Sidaway, Gazette

• Will the reunion of Tomas Plekanec, Alex Kovalev and Andrei Kostitsyn give the Canadiens a spark? Head coach Guy Carbonneau hopes so. And Plekanec hopes that more communication among the linemates, and on down the bench, will improve the Habs' sliding fortunes.

• Will Mike Komisarek get the green light for Thursday's game vs. the Philadelphia Flyers? Komo can't wait to get back into action, having missed the past 16 games.

• Feature to come in Thursday's Hockey Inside/Out section in The Gazette. Check out this sneak preview of goalie Carey Price's new equipment. Well, not really...

Goalie Carey Price and captain Saku Koivu are on the ice 40 minutes before the scheduled practice in Brossard, working with goalie coach Rollie Melanson and strength and conditioning co-ordinator Scott Livingston.

Word on Price last Saturday was that he was suffering from a lower-body injury and that he'd be off skates for four or five days, so this surely is good news this morning. He's doing plenty of lateral movement drills in the crease.

Koivu is also dealing with a lower-body issue, leg or ankle, and is said to be out for a couple of weeks.

Carey Price, still down with a virus, was not at the Canadiens' practice this morning .... but Kim St. Pierre was.

The former star goaltender of the McGill Martlets and Canada's national women's team subbed for Price at the Denis Savard Arena.

Christopher Higgins skated and said he hoped to play against Anaheim on Saturday. But Higgins was similarly optimistic last week until he felt a twinge in his groin during the morning skate that preceded Saturday's game against Phoenix.

Still missing: Andrei Kostistyn

Yesterday we posted an image from pratice and asked for your thoughts on whether or not Saku Koivu beat Carey Price with his move.

In this photo, the next one in the sequence from our photographer, you see the end result of the play.

Congratulations to all those of you that got it right.

At practice in Verdun on Thursday, Saku Koivu went in alone on Carey Price, with the veteran forward putting the moves on the young goaltender.

We're going to try something a little different here today. The next picture in the sequence, which shows whether or not Koivu manages to put it past Price, will be posted on Friday before the game against the Sabres.

For now, we want to know what you think: Does Koivu score or not?

Post your comments here and visit tomorrow to find out if you were right or not.

Pat Hickey reports that Carey Price will start the season opener in Buffalo tomorrow, which most sentient Canadiens fans could have predicted, but that Jaroslav Halak could face the Leafs on Saturday night.

"We want to keep both guys sharp early in the season,” coach Guy Carbonneau said. 

• Dave Stubbs talks to Carey Price about his first season as the Canadiens number one goaltender.

• Injury update. 

• Another chance for Kyle Chipchura. 

• Guy Carbonneau says there are no more defensive lines. 

• Ken Campbell of The Hockey News talks to George Gillett about post-lockout finance. 

• Report on the death of Laura Gainey will be out at the end of the month. 

• Félix Séguin of RDS on Guy Lafleur's 1988 comeback. 

• ESPN predictions: all six experts like Canadiens to win the Northeast. 

• Bob McKenzie on the Class of '08. 

• Season ticket sales slump in Atlanta. 

•Tim Wharnsby of the Globe and Mail on captaincy. 

The Canadiens don't weigh in until tomorrow, but Carey Price is about 20 pounds lighter.

In today's Gazette Dave Stubbs writes about the goaltender's summer conditioning program. 

Before he headed home for the summer, Price got some friendly but firm advice from conditioning coordinator Scott Livingston, goaltending coach Rollie Melanson and general manager Bob Gainey.

"We told him: 'If you want to play at this level for a long time and be successful, if you're going to be our No. 1 guy, then you can't come into our camp out of shape and overweight,' " Livingston said yesterday.

• Is Russian defenceman Alexei Yemelin (in photo) closer to joining the Canadiens? He's in the last year of his contract with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL, and Trevor Timmins is sounding guardedly optimistic about getting him over to North America

• La Presse's Richard Labbé on the Canadiens starting a season in the unfamiliar role of favourites. 

• Eric Engels at Hockeybuzz.com projects the Canadiens' 2009-'10 salary situation. 

• Prospect Olivier Fortier, primed for a big year with Rimouski. 

Continue reading "Lean and hungry" »

In an interview with the Edmonton Sun, Georges Laraque talks about coming home to Montreal:

"When I was a kid, I remember they were winning all the Stanley Cups and every kid on the street had a Habs jersey," Laraque said.
"And what I remember the most was the Rocket Richard book that we used to read at school. "

Possibly The Hockey Sweater, en français?

Non, says poster Ben D.:

 Thanks, Ben

•  •  •

In the Edmonton Journal. Jim Matheson shoots down the rumour that had Ales Hemsky traded from the Oilers to the Canadiens:

The message boards say the Canadiens might be dangling forward Chris Higgins, defenceman P.K. Subban, a member of Canada's world junior team last year, and another roster player. And, defenceman Denis Grebeshkov's name has been talked about going to Montreal, too.

Kevin Lowe told Matheson it's all BS.

Continue reading "Laraque remembers the Rocket" »

Canadiens goaltender Carey Price has been named the National Hockey League's rookie of the month for March.

Continue reading "Price named NHL's top rookie for March" »

Canadiens' recently-anointed Number One goaltender is on the cover of The Hockey News Future Watch '08 issue.

The headline is: Peerless Price: The Games Hottest Prospect.

The Hockey News asked 21 NHL scouts to rate the league's Top Five prospects. Price got 16 first-place votes. He was a runaway winner over Kyle Turris, who had four first-place votes.

Turris was the 2007 first-round draft choice of the Coyotes, the team Price will face tomorrow night. Guy Carbonneau announced today that Price will start in Phoenix.

Hockey News senior writer Ken Campbell wrote the cover story without interviewing his subject. Price did not return any of Campbell's phone calls or messages.

So Campbell talked to Don Lever. And the Hamilton coach, recalling Price's call-up from junior for the Calder Cup playoffs, said "The first game he played for us he looked like he had played in the league for 15 years."

Continue reading "Cover boy starts in Phoenix" »