The Montreal Canadiens are facing the final hurdle of their season this week with two games left to this nightmare of a season and more drama has been added on top of it. Carey Price, who fans and media alike trumpeted in triumph his return to the ice after a 9 month absence, has fallen from grace and fell all the way back to the starting grid.
So much that retirement is becoming a possibility.
According to many former goaltenders including Jose Theodore and Marc Denis, as well as the Canadiens former goaltending coach Stephane Waite, Carey Price is definitely not 100% and might be injured again. The 34 year old veteran goaltender, who has recently been nominated for the Bill Masterson Trophy, has been a shell of his former self since returning.
Marc Denis was the first to point out something was wrong with Price. During a play stoppage against the Flyers, the former NHL goaltender turned analyst mentions how he feels uneasy watching Price play, going as far as saying that there’s something wrong with his movements. Denis mentioned throughout the rest of the game that it doesn’t look like rust but more like something is hurting.
Marc Denis y va d'une analyse intrigante sur Carey Price. Doit-on s'inquiéter de quelque chose? #gohabsgo pic.twitter.com/OBYxXqPoPI
— GOHABSGO.CO (@gohabsgo_com) April 22, 2022
Waite mentioned to the media that he was worried for his former protege. In an interview in French, he mentions how he’s noticed at least seven different occasions against the Senators where his knees didn’t look right. Either he was injured or, almost worse, he was instinctively protecting his knee.
In an article with Le Journal de Montreal, Hart and Vezina winner Jose Theodore expressed similar opinions. He even went as far that the fact that Price chooses when he plays is a major red flag for any athlete.
Price hasn’t been able to catch the win in any of his four starts as the Canadiens now ride a nine game losing streak. He also sports some pretty miserable statistics including a 4.04 goals against average tagged with .853 save percentage. Never in his career has he finished a season, even short, with a save percentage under .900. He finished with a GAA over 3.00 only once in his career, the 2017-18 season where he had a career worsts in both GAA and save percentage (3.11 – .900).
His lateral movements are indeed a huge concern, especially with what we’ve seen against Ottawa. He was significantly slower and more reluctant to crouch on the ice. Dangerous red flags that he has re-aggravated his knee injury.
When an athlete returns after being nine months on the injury shelf, comes back at 100% and takes a significant step back after playing only nine games, it’s a worrying sign that the body isn’t able to follow anymore.
The media were quick to point out how Price constantly visited his wife and child, sitting in the first row near the net, during commercial breaks. Going as far as wondering if he isn’t playing his swan song for his kids.
carey price is such a good dad. pic.twitter.com/RGx2GNXyfb
— CAPTAIN NICK SUZUKI’S NOSE (@NickSuzukisNose) April 20, 2022
Furthermore, you can’t but help but wonder why he played against Ottawa on Saturday, and not at home against the Bruins during the Guy Lafleur tribute night, something both Waite and Theodore brought up. Not to mention he is apparently so hurt that he couldn’t sit on the bench with his teammates and won’t make the trip to New York to face the Rangers.
Many will cry for injustice and that people are just getting on Price’s case and we can’t expect miracles from him at this time.
Something is definitely very wrong though and we likely won’t have any news until the end of the season. However, we might have to start wondering if Price will go the way of Shea Weber and sit out the rest of his contract.
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