Having said that, Price is going to have to start performing like he did in the first two games of the season pretty soon, because his performance since then has been very mediocre, and that's being kind. In fact, if you take those first two games out, Price's numbers are downright hideous: 0-6-0 record, 4.25 GAA and .851 SP.
Price simply has to perform facing a Boston Bruins team missing its top two centres now that David Krejci has been felled by the swine flu, a team that hasn't scored in two games, one with an anemic power play that has produced only two goals in its last 39 attempts. On top of that, this is a team that made Price look like a misguided fool in last year's playoffs, and he should motivated for this one like no other game. If Price is average once again, or worse, then we may have to start asking some serious questions about what he can offer the Habs this season, and maybe even beyond that despite his young age.
Gregory Stewart and Kyle Chipchura will be asked to watch from the press box to make room for Ryan White and Tom Pyatt. If this move actually has some impact on the game I'll be shocked, because I don't see either of them playing more than 10 minutes tonight.
What bears watching more than that is how Mathieu Carle and Marc-Andre Bergeron are used, because one of the two will have to start logging some significant even strength minutes at some point if Jacqeus Martin wants his regular defencemen to survive this stretch awaiting the return of Ryan O'Byrne and Hal Gill.
Who would have thought in July that the loss of those two guys would be such a huge deal? But with Andrei Markov on the shelf, it's a significant loss.
But remember this, and I will do my best to remind you all from time to time, if the Habs win tonight they'll be back at .500 with an 8-8-0 record. And that is all you could ask of a team missing by far its best player.
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11 comments:
Arps,
I think we should go get Chelios, and park MAB on the bench except for the PP. My reasoning is that even when Ryan O'B returns, we might get the old Ryan, who was pretty horrendous in his own right. With Chelly, who I am sure would sign for smal $$, and would probably give us something along the lines of Scheiner's impact, plus some bigtime grit / leadership, we have the following:
Hammer Spacek
Gorges Mara
Chelly and
(take your pick of Carle and MAB, but I would prefer Belle personally, and then we bring back O'Byrne when he is ready)
As for When Markov comes back, and what do you do with Chelly? Well judging by our defence's relative health thus far, there are sure to be roles for him down the line....
Mes deux sous.
i understand the decision and hope that a) price is on a tight leash and b) no matter how depleted our lineup, they step up and help the guy out.
It seems Halak may have tweaked a groin, or something. Martin said he's not 100 per cent, whatever that means. I think he would have started Price anyway.
Saw that Halak groin tweak elsewhere too. Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of Price, at least in the short term.
I really can't believe we have no one better than MAB in our system.
belle?, weber?.
A little surprised to see Chipchura benched. Thought he had been performing his role.
... kinna scary when everyone is concern about a back-up goalie tweaking his groin.
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A 22 year old goalie running out of chances? Most goalies don't even make the NHL by that age.
...but if O'Byrne returns as the 2009-10 edition, we are sitting in the catbird seat.
If Pyatt delivers, does he stay or is this a planned short-term call up?
re: @Crimsonium - If Chicago traded for Halak or Price they would send Huet to the minors or trade him (just kidding) and open up salary cap space that way. Some how or some way Chicago will deal with their goaltending woes because they have the depth at other positions to do so.
I thought Kostitsyn played a solid game tonight as well as Price.
arp! dude! you're slacking! my morning coffee is just not the same...
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