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Montreal Canadiens: Back-to-backs can’t be the only way for Keith Kinkaid

By Omar L

OTTAWA, ON - SEPTEMBER 21: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Keith Kinkaid (37) puts his mask on during second period National Hockey League preseason action between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators on September 21, 2019, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - SEPTEMBER 21: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Keith Kinkaid (37) puts his mask on during second period National Hockey League preseason action between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators on September 21, 2019, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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If the plan is to lighten the workload for Carey Price, the Montreal Canadiens need to find a way to play Keith Kinkaid in more than back-to-back situations.

Every year the Montreal Canadiens start the season with the same wish of not having to rely on Carey Price so much. Unfortunately, that plan went to the back of the filing cabinet as Claude Julien ran with the 32-year-old in hopes of making the playoffs as Antti Niemi continued to be a non-option. Price saw 66 games by the end of the season and signing Keith Kinkaid on July 1st was an optimistic way to reduce that number.

Marc Bergevin mentioned this at his press conference on Wednesday afternoon. The coaching staff is trying to develop a program to reduce Price’s workload this year, and Kinkaid is going to be at the centre of whether it plays out or not.

Kinkaid has seen only three games so far this season, and all of them have come in back-to-back situations. His first start was on the first half against the Buffalo Sabres while the remaining two were on the second half, which saw the Montreal Canadiens take on the Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights.

The 30-year-old has given the Habs a chance to win in each of the games, but he has a 1-1-1 record. Another thing that doesn’t instil much confidence is that Kinkaid has a save percentage lower than .900 in each game:

  • .872 vs. Sabres
  • .879 vs. Wild
  • .886 vs. Golden Knights

If the Habs remain on the same program, Kinkaid’s next start will either be against the Washington Capitals on Friday or the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. Kinkaid did spend time with the Devils, making the home start a likely option for him.

For Price to have his workload lightened, the Habs have to play Kinkaid in more than back-to-backs. If the team doesn’t change anything, Kinkaid will get seven more starts after this weekend. That leaves Price with another 47 starts bringing his season total to 62. Ironically that’s fewer games than he played last year, but fatigue could be a factor, especially down the stretch.

February and March are hefty months for the Montreal Canadiens it would make a lot of sense to give Kinkaid some extra games then. A fresher Carey Price will make all the difference when the games are more important and if the team ends up in the playoffs.

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