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Carey Price's next backup


sakiqc

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Brian has a great article here about backups ideas for Price.

I don't know if anyone has been watching the Awards tonight, but I found it pretty interesting that Ryan Miller, the Vezina winner, wanted -above all teammates- to give a special thank you to Patrick Lalime. This is definitely a plus for Lalime to be acknowledged by the best goalie in the league. Lalime also said to RDS recently that he would gladly be Price's backup. Being a Québec guy, having the experience of going through extremely good streaks in his first years, being the backup to the best goalie in the league.. all positive factors for him being an ideal mentor to Carey.

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Brian has a great article here about backups ideas for Price.

I don't know if anyone has been watching the Awards tonight, but I found it pretty interesting that Ryan Miller, the Vezina winner, wanted -above all teammates- to give a special thank you to Patrick Lalime. This is definitely a plus for Lalime to be acknowledged by the best goalie in the league. Lalime also said to RDS recently that he would gladly be Price's backup. Being a Québec guy, having the experience of going through extremely good streaks in his first years, being the backup to the best goalie in the league.. all positive factors for him being an ideal mentor to Carey.

I leave this to the goalie connaiseurs, but I never thought much of Lalime myself. What we need for Price is a #1A guy - serious insurance should Price immolate again. Biron would be perfect but may be too expensive. Ellis and Mason would be my other immediate choices.

Edited by The Chicoutimi Cucumber
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I leave this to the goalie connaiseurs, but I never thought much of Lalime myself. What we need for Price is a #1A guy - serious insurance should Price immolate again. Biron would be perfect but may be too expensive. Ellis and Mason would be my other immediate choices.

All three of these will be costly. Let's start another contraversy and bring up Cedrick. hahahahahahaha

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Lalime kind of looks brain dead when he plays important games. I definitely would not take him on my team. Why don't we bring back Jablonski to babysit Price!!!!

He wouldn't play "important" games, but be the "old brother" mentor that Carey needs. It haven't work so far with Huet and Halak, 2 goalies that were trying to prove themselves and competing against Price for starts. Canadiens have identify Price as their franchise goalie, and traded Halak so Price could be the #1 starter. It wouldn't make sense to get a young goalie to compete with Price. Lalime, or an Hedberg type of goalie with outstanding work ethic would be the ideal candidates IMO.

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Lalime is done in the NHL. He'd be happy in Montreal because he'd be happy with any NHL job.

Biron would be expensive? He made $1.4m last year and ended up the 3rd string goalie with an .896 SV%. Nobody traded for him even at his cheap price tag last year. He should be cheap.

An interesting cheapo plan would be bringing Yann Danis back into the fold.

Ellis, Biron, and Niittymaki fit the job requirements the best, IMO.

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I'd like Sandford myself. He played really well in the AHL, and I might sound arrogant here, I don't think he see's himself as a number 1 in the league anymore. He'd be really cheap, since he didn't play in the NHL last year.

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We need a goalie who doesn't speak english or french, and is boring and doesn't crave the spotlight in any way. Otherwise, the goalie debate is back on. When Marc Denis got called up, I seem to recall rumblings about when he'll get a start, basically because he was from here. I'd like to go a season without goalie drama, wishfull thinking, I realize.

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No to Lalime, he may be a great guy but he is awful.

The Habs need a guy who understands his role as the backup and will mentor Price. Somebody who will not undermine him (Hayward to Roy) and will offer him advice and

take him under their wing like somebody like Hal Gill did.

Ellis is not that old and is likely looking for another opportunity to start. Mason was the

starter in St. Louis last season. Biron would be a strong choice but his last name could

ignite the fires all over again.

If I had my choice, I would sign Alex Auld. He is your prototypical average goaltender

who if supported well can excel, if hung out to dry will give you average goaltending.

On good teams in Vancouver he had a consistent +.900 SV%, same with Boston and

Ottawa. Place him on Phoenix, Florida and Dallas last season and he struggles.

He will not break your back, but when he is in the game he will remain solid.

He has played for 7 teams so I think he understands his lot in life.

Either that or I would reward Curtis Sanford. Bringing up Desjardins and spot starting

him against the Panthers and Leafs will get this whole nonsense going all over again.

Edited by Wamsley01
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I find it sad that we need to get a guy who won't challenge Price. I think the biggest issue with Price is he never had to earn the number 1 spot, he was expected to just have it. That is a lot of pressure and didn't seem to do him much good.

Unfortunately, at this point I think we are stuck with bringing in a vet who won't challenge him for the number one spot. To me, this is his last chance. If we give him a vet mentor and the keys to the crease, he has to respond. If he fails to be that number one guy, then I think we have to give up and move on. It will be a shame since I truly believe Price's development was screwed up in the hope that he would be the next Roy year one. I would have settled for a Roy on year 3. :)

Now to give him the best chance to recover, we need a goalie who can truly mentor him. I don't think that goalie needs to be all that great anymore, since we are essentially looking for a big brother, not a guy who can take over if Price falters. This will truly come down to getting the guy with the right personality and attitude, not necessarily the best sv%.

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I find it sad that we need to get a guy who won't challenge Price. I think the biggest issue with Price is he never had to earn the number 1 spot, he was expected to just have it. That is a lot of pressure and didn't seem to do him much good.

Unfortunately, at this point I think we are stuck with bringing in a vet who won't challenge him for the number one spot. To me, this is his last chance. If we give him a vet mentor and the keys to the crease, he has to respond. If he fails to be that number one guy, then I think we have to give up and move on. It will be a shame since I truly believe Price's development was screwed up in the hope that he would be the next Roy year one. I would have settled for a Roy on year 3. :)

Now to give him the best chance to recover, we need a goalie who can truly mentor him. I don't think that goalie needs to be all that great anymore, since we are essentially looking for a big brother, not a guy who can take over if Price falters. This will truly come down to getting the guy with the right personality and attitude, not necessarily the best sv%.

It isn't about challenging him, it is about insulating him. Why bring in a guy who might pull a Hayward

on Price and freeze him out and not mentor him because he is competition? Why bring in a guy who

could create another media controversy just because he is french? Is Biron really much better than Auld?

When all is said and done he is still just a kid. He has already had the arrogance stripped, now he

needs to rebuild that as confidence. Roy went through the same type of petulant attitude in 87-88 when

the Canadiens replaced him with Hayward. Even him and his tireless work ethic responded at 21 and 22

with a giant ###### you to Perron when he benched him he dogged it. He admitted that hindsight being 20/20 that he should have taken his anger and frustration out on the practice rink.

Roy came up on a Canadiens team that was full of veteran championship leadership and he still

needed to be grounded. Price is learning that you learn more from failure than success.

THe Halak phase was probably necessary. Whether it taught him that hardwork is more important

than pedigree, whether it taught him that he has to fight for his career etc. He was humbled.

Just because the media packaged him as a ready made superstar, doesn't mean it was true.

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Hedberg would be a good guy, but i'm sure he would ask a bit much, and probably will stay with the Thrashers because he has a better chance of outplaying Pavelec and being #1.

Some consideration should be given to Raycroft. Also Theodore has hinted at a return, and if he really did come back, this is the place where he had his best years and may have alot to play for. I'm sure he loves the city of Montreal.

But what the Habs will actually do, is sign Biron. I just have a feeling its gonna happen.

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Either Théodore or Biron are a bit too good, Price would become their back up before year ends.

Throwing puck at opponents, cross checking the wrong guy who crushed the net, blame MArkov

for a weak goal one time too many and crying like a baby in the dessing room after a 6-0 lost.

I would go for Wade Dubielewicz or Patrick Lalime, anybody weak enough to make Carey look good.

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Haha, maybe Theodore could make the boo birds forget to boo Price.

Quite possibly, but Theodore was my favourite goalie growing up, so I wouldn't hate a return by him. By now he knows his days of being a #1 goalie in the NHL are over. Theodore was a guy who was able to deal with the pressure of playing in Montreal and could teach Price alot.

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Quite possibly, but Theodore was my favourite goalie growing up, so I wouldn't hate a return by him. By now he knows his days of being a #1 goalie in the NHL are over. Theodore was a guy who was able to deal with the pressure of playing in Montreal and could teach Price alot.

lmfao..Theodore couldnt handle the pressure, thats why he was ship out, we were luck at the time to find a team to take him....I cant see bring him back..dumb move unless he comes in for 1 mil

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Quite possibly, but Theodore was my favourite goalie growing up, so I wouldn't hate a return by him. By now he knows his days of being a #1 goalie in the NHL are over. Theodore was a guy who was able to deal with the pressure of playing in Montreal and could teach Price alot.

Remember the days of the vezina theodore... I sooo thought we had our new Roy then. Guess the "new" NHL ruined him.

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I tend to agree with Wamsley that any francophone goalie would just make things harder on Price. One good game from Biron or Theodore and one bad one from Price, and he'd instantly become the fans' #1 whipping boy - even more than at present - while the call-in shows would get worked into a frenzy over how the Habs hate French Canadians because they won't dress French Goalie X as much as they do Price, how Carey Price is the devil, etc., etc.. (Remember, this is the city that booed Saku Koivu because of rumours that he had conflicts with Mike Ribeiro). Not a pretty scene, and very high risk given the importance to the franchise of putting Price in a position to succeed.

On Theodore: I too thought we were set in nets for years, and his collapse in Montreal was one of the most painfully excruciating things I've ever seen happen to a player. He literally went from a near-star/local hero to a guy who could not stop a beachball. It was awful. The cause is bewildering. Was it the change to goalie equipment? The imposition of drug testing? The league having finally got the book on him? A loss of focus/desire on his part? Who knows.

Anyway, look for the Habs to sign a guy like Nittimaki (sp?) as a quiet, serviceable and uncontroversial backup.

Edited by The Chicoutimi Cucumber
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Hedberg? REALLY?

Is he really going to come in and start 20 or so games and give us a great chance to win?

I look at it like this.. Carey is the #1 and is going to play around 60 to 65 games. We need somebody who can play and WIN.

That is why a goalie like Biron makes sense.

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