Habs goaltender Carey Price isn’t wound up as tightly this season, and he’s got the wins to show for it

Allan Maki
Globe Sports
Last updated on Tuesday, Oct. 06, 2009 11:46PM EDT

Carey Price said he was excited, but you couldn’t really tell. There was something of a smile, a little gleam about the eyes. Mostly, though, he was as straight-faced as a Vegas card dealer and that’s a good thing for the Montreal Canadiens.

When Price keeps his calm, the Canadiens love it. They usually win when he’s as laid back as a barcalounger and so far this NHL season Price has been almost as unbeatable as he has been unflappable, which is why he’s excited. Really, he is.

For the first time in his eventful NHL career, Price will be the starting goaltender in his home province of British Columbia. Tonight, in front of family, friends and who knows how many followers, he will face the Vancouver Canucks at GM Place, marking a personal milestone and a tale of resurgence.

Is he excited about that?

“I’m pretty excited,” he said through that something of a smile.

Is he back to being the goalie who stoned the NHL in his rookie season, winning 24 times in 41 games and a wealth of adulation? It sure looks that way.

Having stopped 77 of the 81 shots he’s faced this season, and having won two games as the dominant force behind a now injury-ravaged defence, Price is performing as though last season never happened, another good thing for the Canadiens.

As hard as he’d worked to have a stellar sophomore year, last season went wonky as soon as he injured an ankle. When he came back he slipped into a funk and was humbled 7-2 in Edmonton by the Oilers. Four days later, he hoped to start in Vancouver, where hundreds of native kids attended the morning skate to watch one of their heroes. Instead, Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau benched Price, who later mopped up in a 4-2 loss to the Canucks.

That one bothered Price. What bothered him more was being jeered in Montreal’s last playoff game. (He responded by raising his arms in the air the way Patrick Roy once did.) After finishing the season with just 23 wins and an early playoff exit, he needed to get away and he did, settling in Calgary where he: trained with his cousin, Keaton Ellerby of the Florida Panthers; worked on his goaltending technique at a camp held by Eli Wilson of the Ottawa Senators; met with Montreal’s new head coach, Jacques Martin.

According to Price, the meeting wasn’t about setting rules and expectations; it was about laying the groundwork for a working relationship.

“A player/coach relationship is pretty special. Jacques wanted to come out here and set a home base for our relationship,” Price said. “It’s more of an outlook. Jacques is a pretty calm guy. He was a goalie. He understands the position.”

There was talk last season Price was wound too tightly under former goaltending coach Roland Melanson, who wasn’t around the big team as much after general manager Bob Gainey fired Carbonneau and took over behind the bench. Gainey’s super-human tranquility tried to revive Price but the damage was already done.

With Martin in charge and Pierre Groulx as the new goaltending coach, Price has reverted to the demeanour that has always suited him best. His teammates have noted the bounce back.

“Last season there were a lot of downs for the whole team and everyone pointed fingers at him,” said defenceman Josh Gorges, who quickly added, “It’s not easy being a goalie for the Montreal Canadiens. But when he came to camp this year you could tell he was in great shape and ready to go. I think it’s just maturity. It took me three, four years before I understood the little things you have to do and he’s only 22.”

Along with playing a regular-season game in Vancouver, Price has another matter he’d like to achieve: being part of Canada’s hockey team at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. When the Olympic team held its summer evaluation camp in Calgary, Price wasn’t invited. Ironically, three of the five goaltenders who did attend (Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo and Cam Ward) have since sputtered out of the gate with a combined 0-7 record.

Does that excite Price?

“That was one of my goals [making the Olympic team] regardless of the other guys,” he said. “It’s still pretty early. I’m sure those guys will get it going.”

For now, what matters most to Price is that he has it going. You can tell because he is making saves, carrying his team. The Canadiens are ecstatic. Their goalie? He’s gleaming ever so slightly.