The Toronto Raptors hit a new level with Kawhi Leonard giving them a chance to win and Carey Price has been that for the Montreal Canadiens.
The Toronto Raptors were always a good team, making the playoffs for a number of years. However, they didn’t get an opportunity to make it farther than the Eastern Conference Finals as they’d run into a team who could shut them down. The Montreal Canadiens don’t have the luxury of multiple runs at a championship, but the pieces are in place for it to happen sooner rather than later.
The Raptors knew they needed to win and made the necessary move to trade a fan favourite to add a top talent in Kawhi Leonard. His excellence was seen all season, but it’s really stood out in the playoffs.
And to make things even better, the Raptors walked into Scotiabank Arena for Game One of the NBA Finals and walked out with a 1-0 series lead. It’s only Game One, but considering all the broom references from fans outside of Canada and in California, it was a nice feeling to see the Raptors get the first win.
Max Domi took to social media sharing his thoughts on the Raptors and made a fairly interesting comparison.
"We have Kawhi Leonard. It’s just like having Carey Price on your team. You have a chance to win every night because he’s the best."
It’s a quality comparison, but a tough one at the same time. Carey Price is the face of the Montreal Canadiens, and given the way he plays, he does give the team an opportunity to win every night. Whether it’s his calming presence or ability to make an ‘out of this world’ save, Price is always the go-to for the Habs.
There were many moments this season where the 31-year-old would be having the game of the season and get little to no goal support behind him. He’s the team’s best chance and if they ever end up making a Stanley Cup Final, Price will be one of the biggest reasons why.
He has that potential to steal a series, and their 2014 run is a prime example. The Montreal Canadiens make the Stanley Cup Final if Price doesn’t get injured. He and the team were dialled in up until that point, and they still managed to push the New York Rangers to six games regardless.
Obviously, hockey is a different animal than basketball. A lot of factors play into whether a team can contend or not. Kawhi can put the Toronto Raptors on his back and dominate on the court and make his teammates around him better. Price can dominate in the net and stop everything, but it’s still up to the players on the Montreal Canadiens to score some goals.
That difference doesn’t take away from the impact of Domi’s words. Price is a star in Montreal, and it’ll be interesting to see whether Marc Bergevin can give the goaltender the support he needs to play in a Stanley Cup Final sooner rather than later.