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I know its the current fad to hate on my boy Carey Price, but people need to look at this situation with honesty.

Tuesday's game was just horrid in terms of defensive breakdowns. Any other city, this kid doesnt get ripped the way he does.

But sadly due to this team's horrid defensive history since the early 90's, the role of the goaltender as the savior has been so overblown its almost become laughable.

Patrick Roy was a God in the nets. The guy is the greatest of all time hands down! His performance in 1993 was simply the greatest display of goaltending I have ever seen.

Sadly, since that season, we have banked all of our hopes and dreams on a goaltender stealing the show. When José Théodore won his Hart Trophy, that was pretty much the straw that broke the camels back. The goalie is now forever the saviour in the eyes of this team. Why is is so difficult to ask this team to play responsible 2 way hockey? Its honestly shameful!

Halak 893 vs Price 883 for our goaltenders respective save percentages. That is almost equal.

If you look at the highlights of the Atlanta game, you can easily pick up all the mistakes.

Watch the highlights on NHL.com
at 54 seconds in the show Gomez making a brutal turnover in the neutral zone which leads to a Brian Little and Zach Bogosian going in on a 2 on 1 and Price makes an amazing sprawling save on Bogosian.

1:17 of the video. ATL on the pp. Look at the blown coverage of the 1 timer on Price's glove side... Price again with a beauty save!

1st ATL goal, Lapierre and Bergeron both standing around like two wounded ducks.. Awful break down.

2nd goal at 2:22, terrible line change, lets ATL just rush into our zone and catching our boys napping. Spacek lazy on going in the corner with Little, they get the cycle going, no one picks up Peverley charging to the net, BING BANG BOOM. LAZY LAZY COVERAGE.

3:54 into the video, Price stands on his head and makes 3 big saves upclose infront of the net. Where is the D or the back checking forwards??

I can go on but what is the point? People always need a scapegoat, but winning a championship takes everyone working together.

This team is moving forward. Our young players are no only learning how to be professionals. The past regime simply let these guys run wild and we are now seeing the results. This team has quality players and leadership that doesnt hang eachother out to dry...

I wont bring up a certain ex captains quote when he left his goalie out to dry last season..

We will make the playoffs and Price will be the guy, mark my words.

I couldnt agree more - this last loss was not because of Price. Only one goal seemed to be one he might have had a chance on. There rest were bouces or stupid lazy plays (like Spacek trying to clear the zone through his legs but hitting himself in the foot). Price was very good. But or D was bad and their goalie was very good too (otherwise, we win 9-5).

I'm just worried that the losses might have a mental impact. Sure will be nice to have a whole team on the ice.

Nilan, I agree for the most part. Defensively we've been awful lately. One thing I will sat though, is that regardless of how bad your D is, your goalie needs stop at least 90-91% of shots if you want to even contend for a playoff spot, and right now both our goalies are under 90%.

I cannot disagree Nilan, however lets face it. You know it and I know it. When Price was on his game, there were stops (as tough as they were) that he would have made against Atlanta. Maybe we are spoiled? Maybe he is the victim of expectations? Who knows. I do know that this kid was supposed to be the next saviour and has not been. Having said that, the defence is just plain..horrid. But there is plenty of blame to go around. I still hear rumours that the kid is enjoying the Crescent Str nightlife a bit too much.

Hey you're right Nilan.
I mean Price is just average, but the team defense is way below average at this point. Save percentage means nothing when the chances are as golden as the ones Atlanta was given the other night.

What I don't get: how come this is the worst team defense we've seen in a decade? Isn't Martin supposed to be a defensive coach? I realize we have guys like Bergeron out there, and that Markov's out, but it's the forwards as much as anything. I hate to point fingers at some of our hardest workers, but one goal was partly due to Gionta not getting back, one was due to a lousy Moen backcheck, one due to Gomez (usually a good defensive player) coasting back into his zone, and Lapierre missed his assignment on one too. Metropolit and Cammalleri are getting outmuscled in their own end. And Chipchura's been good defensively but he can get caught up ice at times. The only guy who's been guilt-free lately is Plekanec.

Great read about the Pricer...
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/sports/hockey ... -price.php

For those who dont read french.....

1-As for the majority of the athletes, to sleep is the best relaxation which is for Price. But when he wants to discharge the days of match, he often sometimes opens a book. " I read a lot. I love going to Chapters and snooping about in bestsellers. Lately, I read Why We Suck, of Denis Leary. I found that this had a lot of humour. Otherwise, I try to improve in the guitar except that I sometimes find it frustrating. "

2-The fans will have pointed out that Price abandoned this season the mask in the themes of cowboy to sport much more absolute one. They see a presentation of the Mowing machine there sitting astride Harley-Davidson as well as several heads of deaths. Six aces of spades are also put in an obvious place. " I wanted to make different, but there is not definite reason which pushes me towards this choice. As regards aces of spades, it is not indeed because I am "Gambler". If I was him, I would lose quite a lot of silver! "Price keeps in reservation another mask which he will carry during the match of Centenary, on December 4th. " I shall put it then in auction to delay funds in Foundation Carson-Kolzig for the autism. "

3-The security guard of the Canadian identifies his parents as both persons who exercised the biggest influence on him. But it is his father, on plan ice hockey, with the most decisive influence. " My mother taught a lot it to me on life in general, but my father had a huge impact on me since the beginning of my career. "

4-Everybody knows that Price lost 25 pounds during the summer which followed its first season. It later invoked several poor food habits. Since, it discovered an ingredient-miracle in its light diet? « The chicken is a good source of proteins and they can finish it of one thousand one manners. It is a food which I really inserted into my feeding. My companion lives with me, this year, therefore I have the chance to eat much more flat facts home. This tells a big difference. »

5-Which exercises the biggest pressure: his team mates, mass media, the amateurs or the direction of the team? (He first answered himself.) « even if pressure does not come directly from them, I would answer my team mates, simply because I want to play the best possible for them. Sincerely, it is a pressure that I am obvious myself. »

6-It is for nothing that Carey Price carries a crucifix of silver with the neck. Religion was always in the middle of its family stocks. It is something that makes left integrant of its life. « I go to the church if it is difficult to go often during season there. But during summer, when I go back at home, I accompany my parents in the church. And I always make a request for a team mate when he hurts himself. »

7-The athletes whose talent is fast disclosed are often encircled with a heap of people who insist to put their grain of salt. What is the lesson which keeps most Carey Price since the beginning of the career? « If I had to keep the single advice, it is to enjoy in what they make. If they do not have a good time, everything becomes heavier. »

8-What is its nicest discovery since its arrival in Montreal? « When I arrived here, I was afraid of the language barrier. It is not obvious for a young person of my corner of country to speak French. But I noted that the majority of people here are bilingual and this greatly made easier for me life. Besides, I note that my fair-haired woman and me, they can walk easily on streets, even on Saint-Catherine, without making achaler. »

9-Superstitious men, Carey Price? In no way! « My routine often changes, so, in some way, it is not even a routine. Even if there are things which I make more regularly, it is not a drama if I do not have opportunity to make them. »

10-When it saw frequently the high school, it is the lessons of physical education that preferred Carey Price. But they were not the only ones. « My other favourite subjects were English and history. I always had a more inventive mind than logic. Let us put that mathematics, it was not for me... »

Well I'm glad he inserted the chicken into his feeding. But what's with the presentation of the Mowing Machine?

Besides, I note that my fair-haired woman and me, they can walk easily on streets, even on Saint-Catherine, without making achaler. ».... i liked that line... gotta love these translators!

Translation great but meaningful not to me so much.

"The athletes whose talent is fast disclosed are often encircled with a heap of people who insist to put their grain of salt. "

That can't be good for the ice, can it?

We make the playoffs and I don't care who leads us...Price or Halak. My confidence has been with Halak up to this point. May the better man lead the race!

what the hell is achaler lmao.. is that even english or french lol

It's "Quebecois en joual". it roughly means to annoy or to bother.

As for your assessment on Price, Nilan, it's not just the individual goals that make me criticize him, it's his overall game. The guy is not currently playing at an NHL level. as for him having roughly identical save percentage numbers to Halak, 1% is a huge difference. 93% is Vezina candidate, 92% is strong starter, 91% is average starter, 90% is average backup, 89%, is below average backup, and 88% is AHL guy who shouldn't have been dressed in the NHL. Remember, that difference between 93% and 90% is roughly a goal per game.

Price isn't moving well. His confidence is shot. He's not following/anticipating the plays. He's not challenging the shooter. He's not using proper technique. He's just not playing the position like he should.

Of course he's not our biggest problem, but if we fix all of our other problems and keep Price as a starter without having developed him properly, we'll find that we still can't win a round in the playoffs.

Those percentages change depending on your team, and whether or not they give up many rebounds and breakaways, but they are a decent rough guide. Halak is playing badly and Price is playing worse. Price, ,however, has more talent betwen the two, and that should give an indication of which one is playing below his talent, and which one is playing waaaaaaay below his talent.

What a prick! Why would he delay the funds?!?!?!?!