MONTREAL | Carey Price has long worn the label of a savior in Montreal. He has carried the team on his shoulders countless times, as was the case from Game 4 in the first round of the playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• Read also: Mike Condon, when the body stops responding
• Read also: A change that transformed the Blackhawks
But to get the Canadian out of his own quagmire, the Canadian will need much more than one man. Yes, Price is now back in the squad’s entourage, but the 34-year-old keeper is still quite a ways away from a return to the game.
“We will do it together, replied Dominique Ducharme when he was reminded that Price was not arriving with a magic wand in his hands to save the season. The day Carey returns to training, he won’t be alone. We’ll have to do it together again. He will be one more player. Yes, he is an important player for us. But we will remain a team and we will need to get out of it together. “
“Carey has a reassuring presence, both on and off the ice,” added defenseman Jeff Petry. He has a knack for calming everyone down. I’ve noticed this character in him since my first day with the Canadiens. When he’s on the ice he always keeps his cool, it looks like he doesn’t need to exert too much effort. When you have a goalie like that behind you, it sends a positive message to the whole team. “
Scary figures
On the eve of the Los Angeles Kings and Phillip Danault’s visit to the Bell Center, the CH looks like a boat taking on water everywhere.
The statistics are very revealing: 30th for goals scored at 2.00, 28th for goals against 3.46, 26th on the power play at 13.6% and 29th on power play at 66.0%.
When we consult the numbers of the team, we understand better Ducharme to insist on the concept of the group before identifying the number 31 as a player who will change the course of the season.
Gradual return
Price will have several steps to take before putting on his mask for a first game since July 7, the date of the fifth meeting in the Stanley Cup final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“There is not yet a fixed date,” Ducharme said. But he came to Brossard on Sunday to meet with the team’s therapists for his injury (knee). He will be here on Tuesday. “
“The therapists were quite happy with his state of health, compared to his injury. But it is still too early to think of a specific date or plan. “
Separated from his family and teammates for a period of 30 days by joining the NHL Player Assistance Program and the Players Association, Price recovered his mental health. On the hockey front, he will now have to heal his knee and regain the rhythm of an NHL game.
“Yes, we could talk about a gradual comeback,” said Ducharme. That’s a good way to put it, especially since he had a wound to heal before he left. He will have a fitness to respect, like several other things. We have already told him that we are staying with him and that we want to help him. We will need to have a discussion. But I don’t know in what order we’ll do it. I’ll need to know how he’s feeling and how he’s doing. We’ll probably talk to each other on a weekly basis to make the plan. “
In Petry’s eyes, the mere presence of Price will be good news at this chaotic start to the season.
“It will be good to see him again,” said the American. We need to help him, as best we can. He is a man of few words, not just with journalists. He’s a guy I like. I am friends with him, I got to know him. We have things in common. He’s an easy guy to be around and our women are very close. “
“We started the season with some goals and we’re not reaching them right now,” said Gallagher. As athletes, we don’t need extra motivation. We know Price is a huge piece of the team. It will be a plus to see him again, but we stay motivated since we hate to lose. “