Carey Price: Not Stirred or Shaken, Just Chilled

Written by: Iain Carnegie, AllHabs.net

“Just relax. Just chill out. We have lots of time.  We’re not winning the Stanley Cup in the first exhibition game.”  — Carey Price

They are simple, frank words that produced one massive statement.

The role of net-minder in Montreal is no small task. Every night, 21,273 fans gaze down upon a man in the position that can be either perceived as god or devil. Preventing goals and gaining wins for the team sees you elevated to deity; but fail to perform and you get run out of town.

On Saturday night, one of the hero’s of the Montreal Canadiens has the opportunity to seize greatness once again. A chance to rank himself firmly with the best. But it wasn’t always so.

Carey Price has come a long way since being picked by Montreal in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. There have been highs, and there have been lows. But with each step along the way, Price has picked up far more than game experience. He’s matured.

There was such a high expectation of greatness for  Number 31 when he joined the big club in 2007. When Price got the call-up from Hamilton after the franchise traded Cristobal Huet to the Washington Capitals, he failed to disappoint. Amassing 24 wins with a save percentage of .920, Price lead all rookie goalies in the NHL and walked les Boys to their first Division Championship since 1991-92.

In that post-season, Price became the first rookie in the Canadiens franchise to post a playoff shutout since Patrick Roy, and firmly settled himself into the company of the best.

But the play that elevated him to earn the nickname “Jesus Price” halted with an injury in the 2008-09 season and Price struggled after the All-Star break, allowing the goalie controversy to arise between himself and team-mate Jaroslav Halak. Finishing eighth in the Conference and barely squeaking into the post-season, Montreal faced the Boston Bruins in the first round, and once again Carey Price found himself in the company of heroes, but for all the wrong reasons this time ’round.

Giving up four goals in two periods, a typical relentless Habs fan base heckled Price when he stopped a puck that was dumped into the zone, and the net-minder responded with a Patrick Roy-esque gesture, raising his arms in a mock salute.

At that point Price has lost the confidence of some Canadiens fans, and then stormed back to regain it, in only a fashion that he can possibly exude. After the trade of Halak in the summer of 2010, the Canadiens franchise showed a bold statement and their unwavering belief in Price. There were many a skeptic, and they came out in full force at the Bell Center for the first pre-season game just over a year ago. On the very first shot of the year, Nathan Horton lofted a softie past Price, and many of the twenty-one thousand fans let their disdain be heard.

“Just relax. Just chill out.”

Last season, Carey Price solidified himself as one of the elite, and proved once again that he is destined to become one of the all time best in the National Hockey League. Starting an astonishing 72 games placed him atop the list of goaltenders for starts within the franchise, and his 38 wins leapfrogged him past Patrick Roy (who had a record 36 wins with the Canadiens in 1991-’92), and second to the beloved Ken Dryden (who has posted 39, 41, and 42 win seasons during his career in Montreal).

On Saturday, as le Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge face the Colorado Avalanche, Price is set to become part of goaltending greatness once again. A win against the Avalanche will earn Price his 100th career victory by the age of 24, and that will put him in the company of Harry Lumley, Tom Barrasso, Grant Fuhr, Terry Sawchuk, Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Jocelyn Thibault, Roy Edwards, and Marc-Andre Fleury.

Many a fan had doubts about this mans performance level a mere 12 months ago, but here he sits once again, on the brink of another record – on the cusp of greatness.

Clearly Price took his own advice last year. He’s chilled to the point of ice flowing through his veins. He’s relaxed in a way that very few could possibly attain in the arena’s of the NHL. And tomorrow night, he’s poised to prove once again why Montreal’s faithful should “just relax, just chill out.”