By Stevo, AllHabs.net
MONTREAL, QC. — When Carey Price posted back-to-back wins against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins this past week, it had been a month since he last completed the feat.
Therefore it was a bit of a surprise to me when I saw Jacques Martin select Alex Auld as the starter against the New York Rangers this past Tuesday, a game that the Canadiens would go on to win 2-1.
My issue was not that Alex Auld was playing. I really don’t have anything bad to say about Auld. In his past four starts, he’s posted a record of two wins and two losses, a goals against average (GAA) of 2.25, and a save percentage (SV%) of .924. Auld also historically has a good record against the Rangers.
My issue is not with Auld. My issue was that Carey Price was not playing, he who had finally put consecutive solid games, both producing wins.
I keep hearing that Alex Auld needs to play more games. I consistently hear that it’s important that he gets more play because the Montreal Canadiens might need him down the stretch. Really? Is that why we got Alex Auld, for the stretch? I think not.
This argument had substance to it when Auld had only played two of the first 29 games the Canadiens had played to start the season. Playing only about once every 15 games, or seven percent of the time if you prefer, the argument was there that perhaps Price was being overplayed.
However, if you look at what has happened since then, you quickly notice that Auld has played four of the last 23 games. This averages out to about once every five or six games, or 17 per cent of the time, more then double what he was playing earlier on.
Can we truly say that Price is currently being overplayed? I would disagree with those that do.
Alex Auld’s biggest win this season was against the Florida Panthers on the 31st of December, to close out the 2010 year. The Canadiens were coming off of a three-game losing skid, losing five of their previous six games. Playing against one of his numerous old teams, Auld was strong, and helped the Canadiens leave Florida with a 3-2 overtime win.
This win seems to have put the team back on the right track, although they went on to lose the next game against the Thrashers, they then posted three consecutive wins, before splitting the last two games.
Carey Price, in his last five starts has gone 3-1-1, with a GAA of 2.80 and a SV% of .911, clearly an improvement from the numbers he was showing during the recent slump. So with Carey Price back on the right track, I go back to my earlier point, why was it necessary to play Alex Auld against the Rangers?
As someone who’s played the goaltending position, I understand the importance of getting on a roll. A goaltender needs momentum in order to put consecutive solid efforts and sitting Price after two wins and only three starts, in my opinion was not necessary, and counter-productive to what the team is trying to achieve. The long term goal is having a solid team ready for the playoffs.
Price was put back into the net against the Penguins this past Wednesday and although he started the game very strong, the result was a five to two loss. It should also be noted that Alex Auld has had five starts this season, and Carey Price shows a record of 1-4 in games following Auld’s starts.
I’m not saying that Auld should no longer play because Price tends to lose in the game following, but I still see the stat as interesting, and think Martin should carefully consider when he plays Auld, more so then he gives me the impression of doing right now.
Comforting it was to see Price put up a win in the next game (last one played) against the Rangers. Price had a relatively easy first and second period, but had to really step it up in the third. “The Canadiens netminder had to turn it on in the third, making 20 saves with several game savers along the way.” was how Kevin van Steendelaar from Habs Eyes on the Prize described it.
This just in, Jacques Martin is considering starting Alex Auld tomorrow against the Calgary Flames, for the third time in eight games. I guess Carey Price will need to wait, before he can get on a roll again.
Okay Jacques, you need a rest.
(Graphic: Canadiens.com)
Although I agree with Martin playing Auld in back to back situations, I don’t agree with his reasoning.
With Carey Price carrying the brunt of the work, Alex Auld does need to keep his skills tuned and be ready if long-term duty calls. With only a handhul of starts this season, it’s not enough.
Being a goalie, you can appreciate that the ability to track pucks is not necessarily developed in practice, but with more game play. Auld needs to play to stay sharp, regardless of how well Price plays.
If the goal is to win 4 x 7 game playoff series after an 82 games schedule, it’s critical to rest your starting goalie whenever the opportunity presents itself.
I’d like to see Price play 65 to 70 games max and he’s on pace for 73 so I’d fully welcome a few extra games with Auld.
Use ’em if ya got ’em
I understand Martin’s logic behind using Carey so frequently early on in the season. I felt like no one knew where Carey’s game was or was going to be and when he started to show brilliance, it was important to get him on a roll to ensure that he built up his confidence.
I think it worked, in fact, I think JM might’ve gone too far. So far that Carey got tired and started making mental mistakes and his play suffered as did the team’s. Over the holidays and with Auld getting a few games in, it seems that Carey has regained a bit of that form that we saw earlier in the season. So, I agree with JM’s strategy to try and lessen the load on Carey to ensure that when he does play every other night (in the playoffs) he doesn’t hit that same wall he did last month.
In terms of getting him on a roll again, well that’s secondary. Carey showed that he can be an elite goalie, now he needs to work on his mental focus (in-game and in-season) and by that I mean staying sharp in a game where most of the action is at the other end of the rink for a long stretch (as in the most recent NY game) AND staying sharp even when you’re riding the bench for a game or two while your backup gets in a game.
Coach: I don’t disagree that it is to Auld’s advantage to play more, and I will also admit he’s done better in his five starts this season then i would have anticipated. That being said, I feel that if the Habs have a shot at going anywhere this year, it will all depend on Price. Going with that, unless Price gets an injury and the Habs have no other choice, I really don’t see Auld being an option in the long run.
For the back to back games, I’m one of those rare people that doesn’t make a big deal of them. Players have to do it all the time, I don’t see why it’s always such a subject of conversation when it comes to goalies.
Habswatch: I think that what’s important is finding the right balance. In the earlier portion of the season, i would have agreed more, but with Auld playing tonight, that’s a third start in the last eight games. Credit to Auld, he has been playing well, but the priority is to have Price playing well i would think, not Auld.
BigT: You bring up a great point about the mental part. I do believe some of these short side goals that have been going in the past games are a result of exactly that. He’s not ready for the shot, gets caught deep and the puck goes in.
In regards to the playing time, i’ve pretty much answered it already with my replies to Coach and Habswatch, overall, i think the right balance needs to be found with regards to ratio of games Auld should play vs. Price.
What Jacques Martin is thinking, or was thinking, i won’t even try to guess! :)
Thank you all for your comments, appreciated.
Stevo,
You, as a goalie, can appreciate the wear and tear of the constant up-downs and butterfly slides. If the Habs have any hope of going deep into the playoffs with Price at the helm, he’ll need his rest when he can get it?
When was the last time Marty Brodeur played 70+ games and won the Cup? It doesn’t happen often, so why expect it from Price? It’s too much to ask a young goaltender to bear.
Yeah Coach K is right. It does a lot of wear and tear on the knees, hips, ankles, etc. etc. but most of all it wreaks havoc on the mind and makes it tough to stay focused. Especially for pro players who are elite athletes in excellent physical condition (for the most part).
Don’t forget, players go on the ice for 45-60 second shifts and then switch out. Players will average anywhere from 4min to 29 or 30min per game whereas the goalie will play the full 60min. Granted he’s not skating full on he doesn’t get a break in tracking the puck and being aware of who’s on the ice at all times (even with the play at the other end).
Rest is essential. Like you mentioned in your comments to me, some short side goals allowed where he wasn’t ready for the shot. We both know that Carey has the skill and ability to stop that puck. So why did it go in, probably due to a brief lapse in concentration and focus.
A goalie doesn’t just track the puck he also anticipates almost every possible play that a player can/will make and almost instantaneously in his mind assigns probabilities to each of those plays and adjusts his positioning and footwork to deal with that.
It’s mentally draining at times.
:-)
Well, Brodeur is maybe not the right example because with all the success he had in his career, he played 12 70+ game seasons, also had one of 67. 2 of his 3 cups were on 70+ game seasons including the cup in 94-95, when he was the age Carey Price is today.
That said, just to clarify what my issue is, my issue is that Price was in a slump, he seems to be getting out of it, but i find Martin is not allowing him to get on a roll.
Overall, i don’t have an issue with Auld playing more than he was playing.
For the goalie playing the 60 minutes, it’s true but that’s a tricky one. All games are different, all periods are different. If we use the last game against the Rangers as an example, first 2 periods probably had little physical and mental affect on Price, while the third period probably did in both areas.
Important to have a goalie coach that can recognize this.
I think that overall, we all agree on the big picture, just disagreeing on the details of how to get there.
Thanks again!
** Correction to what i said: Brodeur only played 40 regular season games in 94-95, and they won the cup. He was 22 years old. He played 77 the next season but i believe they missed the playoffs.
The other 2 cups were on 70+ game seasons.
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