About Last Night: Even in defeat, the Canadiens aren’t ‘worried’ about Carey Price

Dominique Ducharme was given the keys to the Canadiens this week on an interim basis. He is now the bench boss of a team that is badly in need of some good fortune and having nothing but during the first month of the year.

While there are some more minute details (faceoffs, zone entries) that need attention as well, there is already one massive dilemma he will need to navigate. His star goaltender isn’t playing like the elite star he was once heralded as.

Price hasn’t been good enough. He’s had starts where he’s been downright unreliable this season. Yours truly thought he might have turned a corner after defeating the Maple Leafs prior to his team’s week-long break, completely downplaying the idea of a goaltending controversy.

Since then, Price is 0-2-1 with a save percentage of .853 and 14 goals allowed. He’s allowed five goals in two of his last three starts.

Just like Claude Julien before him, he hasn’t turned that corner.

It happens. Even to a goalie who makes over ten million dollars per season. But in a shortened season where the Canadiens need to make the playoffs, Price’s margin for error is thinner than usual. The Canadiens might still be among the four best teams in the North Division, but if Price can’t keep his team in games, would it be a surprise to see the Canadiens use Jake Allen more often than not going forward?

The Canadiens are at that point yet.

Ducharme thought Price played “like the team” did Thursday night. In an earlier answer, Ducharme said his squad “cracked mentally and physically” in the second half of the game. But Ducharme did his best to put as much as he could on the team and not on one singular player. And he seemed hopeful that Price could still turn his sub-par season around.

“Carey’s a competitor. I’m not worried.”

You certainly won’t hear Canadiens players put the blame on Price. And it’s fair to say that the players could share some of that blame too.

I think back to a Brendan Gallagher quote from Tuesday night’s loss to the Ottawa Senators where Price made some outstanding saves but also allowed some bad goals against the Senators.

“He made so many big saves. Pucks are going to go in sometimes. He made save, after save, after save. We don’t have a chance if not for Price. There’s no concern there.”

“I think it’s both,” Drouin said. “It’s true that Carey hasn’t been at this best. But I think we haven’t been either. If you see the goals (he allows), they’re off of tic-tac-toe or backdoor plays. I don’t know many goalies who are going to stop those. He saved us against Ottawa two, three times with his stick, with some spectacular saves.

“But that’s on us too to not give up so many grade-A chances. We could have him just make easier saves and take easier shots where he sees the puck, there are no rebounds, the defencemen are doing their job, forwards come back to the crease to help Carey.”

The coaches and players are throwing support behind their number one goalie, even if the statistics don’t support his case of being a number one goalie, let alone elite.

If that’s the road they wish to go down, then the Canadiens will need to do everything they can to restore Price’s confidence.

It might actually be Ducharme’s most important task aside from making the playoffs.

The best of last night’s Liveblog

It’s where you can find all the varying opinions on Carey Price.

About one quarter of the posts here tonight are laying this on Carey Price. That’s 50-50 to me… Yes, his skills are diminishing. Turning 34 in August is the logical explanation. But the team in front of him is also of diminished skill. The beef against CP is the quality of recent play. OK. But give the guy credit for his resumé in MTL. The real beef is the contract. And you CAN’T blame CP for that! — Rudi Hittisau

Price is finished. I did not think he could let in a worse goal than Tkachuk’s 2nd goal last game but the Jets 4th goal by Thompson was complete and UTTER Garbage. Nate just shoveled it at the net and it ate Price up like it was a 100 mph Bobby Hull slapshot. I mean what the hell was he doin on that. That was the game right there. That goal completely deflated the tires. When, and I will repeat myself, WHEN is the management group going to wake up and see this guy Price is a head case. That was utterly terrible. When Petry makes an egregious error and gives the puck away that was bad, but c’mon Price swallow the shot and don’t give up a nice juicy rebound. Boom goal #5. That is not NHL caliber goal tending by anyone’s measuring stick. I can’t watch this guy anymore. Play Allen every game for the rest of the season and put Price on waivers and see if anyone is stupid enough to take him. They said the team quit on Julien. When is someone going to write that Price has quit on his team. — Mac Alexander

Price is finished. Seriously. I’ve stood behind him for years but no more. Cut a deal with Seattle. Leave him unprotected. He and Angela live near family and we eat half the salary which still should buy a decent UFA. He looks like he doesn’t care anymore. Body language speaks volumes. If I see it you know every player sees it. it’s time. Sit him. Allen #1. Primeau back up. Price plays only once we’re mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. I can’t believe I’m saying that 1/4 into the season but that’s how I feel. Oh yeah. I’ll be watching Saturday because I love hockey. — Habs SkiFan

I remember a time when the Canadiens scoring 3 goals with Price in nets was almost a guaranteed win, I just can’t recall when that time was — Ryan Katz