“Carey!, Carey!, Carey! Even before the national anthems were played, Carey Price received a huge outpouring of love from Bell Center fans in his first start since July 7, the date of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
• Read also: CH defeat: spoiled reunion
• Read also: “I was happy for him” -Paul Byron
• Read also: Price’s comeback
While he’s not the most expressive man on earth, number 31 has spoken a bit about his feelings after that first start against the New York Islanders yesterday.
” It was very good. I received a really warm welcome. I felt wanted. I found it moving. But I put that aside. I wanted to play well, I stayed focused. »
Price described what he missed the most during his nine-month absence.
“I missed hockey a lot. When you’re on the sidelines, you’re part of the team. But you don’t feel as invested. It’s not easy when you’re not part of the solution. I was looking forward to reconnecting with everything that goes with the game. Sitting in my locker, laughing before the game with teammates, preparing my routine and the competitive aspect of a game. I also wanted to feel the buzz of the crowd, to make a save. »
At the sound of the final siren, Price recovered the puck of this meeting.
“I just gave it to a young fan when I got off the ice,” replied the Anahim Lake native.
Frustrating
The CH masked man missed 74 games. He hasn’t recovered as quickly as he’d hoped from his knee surgery at the end of July.
“It was a frustrating process, but it’s not any one person’s fault,” he said. I believe that after the operation, we had talked about a fairly specific period. But with my position, I expected a slightly longer absence. A keeper needs special moves. There have been setbacks in my rehabilitation. There was inflammation in my knee, it was limiting me. A frustrating process. There were also problems with the cartilages in my knee. »
The heart and soul of CH
Martin St-Louis had a smile on his face as he reflected on his emotions at the start of the game with the chants and applause for Price.
“It was a special night for so many reasons with the passing of Mike Bossy and the return of Carey. I’ve had injuries before, but I was young and I’ve never been out for so long. I hadn’t received an ovation like Carey when I returned! I was not surprised. I know what he means to the Canadiens. »
“Carey has been the heart and soul of this team for a long time. He is the reason for long runs in the series. When you look at a good team, you often find a great goalkeeper. »