Preseason GDT: Bruins/Habs

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Damn not a good start for Price.

[Wamsley01]

The thing about Price this year for me, it is no longer acceptable for him to just make the saves he is supposed to.

On both breakaways he has been caught flat and was burnt on the same move, just to opposite sides.

He needs to make saves like Rask just did. Average at the age of 23 is not good enough. He needs to show the ability

to dominate and steal games. I don't care if he has a .912 SV% and the Canadiens are poor and have 35 wins as long as I see him

making the proper reads and making the right decisions.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Wamsley01

[Habsfan84]

Just pre-season. No big deal. Would of liked a better start for Price though.

[Wamsley01]

Just pre-season. No big deal. Would of liked a better start for Price though.

100% true. Nobody remembered Price's 4 goals on 16 shots against the Sens when he

was stopping 40+ on back to back nights to start the season.

[brobin]

Rask sure looks ready to go.

[Wamsley01]

Rask sure looks ready to go.

Yeah. He looks in mid-season form. Price looked like he started training 3 weeks ago.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Didn't see the game, but I've seen enough pre-season games to know that they mean exactly diddly-squat. I'll worry about Price if he falters in the season, not before.

[Wamsley01]

Didn't see the game, but I've seen enough pre-season games to know that they mean exactly diddly-squat. I'll worry about Price if he falters in the season, not before.

Not worried about him, but he looked disinterested.

[Habsfan]

I also would have liked to have seen Price do better in his first game...but I ######ing hated the reaction of the crowd after the 3rd goal. For ######ing ##### sakes, it's the first meaningless game of the pre-season...leave the kid alone. He had a bad start. Why jeer him and sarcastically applaud routine saves?

I love my city and I love my Habs, but sometimes, i ######ing hate Habs fans. You'd think we would have learned something with what happenned on Dec 2nd 1995?? But no, there are too many ######ing morons out there!!

Mark my words, if this continues, Carey will be gone in 2 years(he'll ask for a trade...maybe not puclicly, but he'll ask gauthier to trade him)

I really hope Carey can bounce back from this, or else it'll be a damn long year!

[Toronthab]

Yeahhh! Hockey's back!

I always want a win. I liked the way we started to play.

Nasty start for Price. Just what he didn't need, but hell , why not be a little jittery in game -6 in Montreal after controversial moves.

The management thinks he can get it done, and they probably have more channels of insight than I do.

Go HABS GO!!

[sakiqc]

Maxwell looked better than past years. But sadly for him, not close enough. He's still young and a strong 3rd season with the Bulldogs would probably serve him best.

Palushaj looked great. I think he'll start in Montréal, or be the last one cut.

Tinordi looked great for an 18yo! Promising..

[JoeLassister]

The best were :

Palushaj : everywhere in the offensive zone at least, didn't really watch his defensive play.

Pouliot : crashed the net several times, would have like to see him score with a little more finish.

Cammy : a step ahead of everybody without even trying 100%

Tinordi : made lot of small mistakes, but that's the level of implication that I wanted to see from him last night.

Leblanc : lot of action with Dumont along the board, loved his physical game yesterday, he was involded a lot.

Tough game :

Dumont : take out the 2 for hooking and he was right there above with Leblanc...

Spacek

Halpern (especially on the faceoffs, lost a couple of important ones)

Price

the St-Denis - Weber pair

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I also would have liked to have seen Price do better in his first game...but I ######ing hated the reaction of the crowd after the 3rd goal. For ######ing ##### sakes, it's the first meaningless game of the pre-season...leave the kid alone. He had a bad start. Why jeer him and sarcastically applaud routine saves?

I love my city and I love my Habs, but sometimes, i ######ing hate Habs fans. You'd think we would have learned something with what happenned on Dec 2nd 1995?? But no, there are too many ######ing morons out there!!

Mark my words, if this continues, Carey will be gone in 2 years(he'll ask for a trade...maybe not puclicly, but he'll ask gauthier to trade him)

I really hope Carey can bounce back from this, or else it'll be a damn long year!

Yes, the fan reaction worries me more than Price's play itself. In a sense, that is the great X-factor that management didn't consider in deciding to keep him over Halak. They made a pure 'hockey'/cap decision, but the fact is that Price may end up in an untenable position created completely by the irrational, hysterical fan-base. What is remarkable is that so many fans are prepared to sacrifice the success of their team in exchange for the gratifications involved in psycho-drama scapegoating. I still don't trust Habs' management to have fully insulated its players against the consequences of living in the loony bin.

The really troubling thing here is that Price refused to speak to the media afterwards. This suggests that he was upset by the treatment. And the player interviews also suggest that it bothered them and him. NOT good news for the mental and emotional state of the young man. Worse, this could be just a hint of the nightmare to come once the games start to matter. If the meltdown happens, we could be in for an excruciating season that will make the second half of 2008-09 look like a picnic.

Having said that: in terms of on-ice play Price may just be doing what a lot of 'veterans' do, which is use the preseason to warm up and fine-tune without really giving a rat's ass. I repeat: don't worry about his play until the real season starts. The immediate source of worry is the fans.

Edited September 23, 2010 by The Chicoutimi Cucumber

[BCHabnut]

Paushaj was the most impressive of the non regulars. Tinordi looked pretty damn good too. Plek was awesome last night. Man can he fly. Maxwell finally showed why the team keeps giving him chances. He looked really good. Leblanc was very agressive, and showed that he has hands. The other player that really stood out was Lapierre. He was flying. Conboy was pretty agressive too. Too bad about the fight.

Poor Price. He just plain got beat on 3 of those goals. The point shot was pretty nice. I really hope he can keep his head in it. I also hope the fans don't ruin him.

[lazy26]

I enjoyed last night's tilt, and I thought that there were a lot of positive things to take away from it. The whole Price thing put a sour note on it, though, and the mainstream media seems hellbent on running Price out of town already. Yeh, he was horrible on the first goal, but some goalies are rusty at this point and I don't see the great significance in it. So what if he didn't talk to the media afterwards... you can almost bet that if he had, they'd be criticizing whatever he said. If it seemed to get to him, they'd say he was immature and mentally weak. If he played it off, they'd say that he wasn't taking it seriously... And so on and so forth. It was a no-win situation for Price, and I don't blame whatsoever for skipping the interviews.

What I wish would happen, is something along the lines of what Gainey did for Breezer a fair bit ago. Gainey singled out the boo-birds and essentially told them to stay home if they were going to be negative. I thought it had good results, and although some of the vets are speaking out for Price, it'd be nice if Gauthier made a point of doing something similar.

[SOOPAVILLIN]

I enjoyed last night's tilt, and I thought that there were a lot of positive things to take away from it. The whole Price thing put a sour note on it, though, and the mainstream media seems hellbent on running Price out of town already. Yeh, he was horrible on the first goal, but some goalies are rusty at this point and I don't see the great significance in it. So what if he didn't talk to the media afterwards... you can almost bet that if he had, they'd be criticizing whatever he said. If it seemed to get to him, they'd say he was immature and mentally weak. If he played it off, they'd say that he wasn't taking it seriously... And so on and so forth. It was a no-win situation for Price, and I don't blame whatsoever for skipping the interviews.

What I wish would happen, is something along the lines of what Gainey did for Breezer a fair bit ago. Gainey singled out the boo-birds and essentially told them to stay home if they were going to be negative. I thought it had good results, and although some of the vets are speaking out for Price, it'd be nice if Gauthier made a point of doing something similar.

If only the fans on this board could fill the Bell Centre every game. What a difference a little perspective and intelligence make.

[BCHabnut]

I don't think you will see anything like Gainey did. If Gauthier or someone from management did that, it would just feed the frenzy more. The best thing to do is hope that Price can put together a string of 4 or 5 games. That should buy him a bit of good grace. It's really too bad. Hal Gill really stood up for him. Plek too. I was really happy to see that.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I enjoyed last night's tilt, and I thought that there were a lot of positive things to take away from it. The whole Price thing put a sour note on it, though, and the mainstream media seems hellbent on running Price out of town already. Yeh, he was horrible on the first goal, but some goalies are rusty at this point and I don't see the great significance in it. So what if he didn't talk to the media afterwards... you can almost bet that if he had, they'd be criticizing whatever he said. If it seemed to get to him, they'd say he was immature and mentally weak. If he played it off, they'd say that he wasn't taking it seriously... And so on and so forth. It was a no-win situation for Price, and I don't blame whatsoever for skipping the interviews.

What I wish would happen, is something along the lines of what Gainey did for Breezer a fair bit ago. Gainey singled out the boo-birds and essentially told them to stay home if they were going to be negative. I thought it had good results, and although some of the vets are speaking out for Price, it'd be nice if Gauthier made a point of doing something similar.

I had the same thought. The problem is that at that time, Gainey's credibility was through the roof - he was just starting out as GM and uncritically revered by the Montreal fanbase. So when he spoke, fans listened. No one in the Habs' hockey operation now enjoys that remarkable level of credibility. If Gauthier came out and called the boo-birds 'yellow, jealous people,' as Gainey did, the result would probably be to intensify the booing. It would become both a way of jeering Price AND telling Gauthier to shove it. If Gainey did it, people would ignore it as the words of an irrelevant former GM.

So the only candidate for this job is Jean Beliveau. I think they should record a general message from Big Jean saying there's nothing worse for a young player than being booed in his home rink, that 'your canadiens' can't succeed without your support, and urging the fans to cheer on their players as this new season begins. Broadcast it before every game for the first few weeks of the season. Everyone will understand that Price is the real topic of this message. Unless Montreal fans have truly lost their minds, they will shut the f**k up after that, at least for a while.

Sadly, I doubt the organization has the creativity and pro-active attitude to do this. They seem to be locked in a mindset that just says 'fans will be fans,' in basic denial of the catastrophic effects that this rabidly insane fan base can have on players. You'd think they'd have learned from the debacle of 2008-09, but I have a feeling they haven't truly absorbed that lesson.

Edited September 23, 2010 by The Chicoutimi Cucumber

[Wamsley01]

Yes, the fan reaction worries me more than Price's play itself. In a sense, that is the great X-factor that management didn't consider in deciding to keep him over Halak. They made a pure 'hockey'/cap decision, but the fact is that Price may end up in an untenable position created completely by the irrational, hysterical fan-base. What is remarkable is that so many fans are prepared to sacrifice the success of their team in exchange for the gratifications involved in psycho-drama scapegoating. I still don't trust Habs' management to have fully insulated its players against the consequences of living in the loony bin.

The really troubling thing here is that Price refused to speak to the media afterwards. This suggests that he was upset by the treatment. And the player interviews also suggest that it bothered them and him. NOT good news for the mental and emotional state of the young man. Worse, this could be just a hint of the nightmare to come once the games start to matter. If the meltdown happens, we could be in for an excruciating season that will make the second half of 2008-09 look like a picnic.

Having said that: in terms of on-ice play Price may just be doing what a lot of 'veterans' do, which is use the preseason to warm up and fine-tune without really giving a rat's ass. I repeat: don't worry about his play until the real season starts. The immediate source of worry is the fans.

I don't know why anybody thinks it makes a difference whether they kept Halak or Price.

The fanbase is among the worst in hockey because of the Schizophrenic aspect of their association with past glory. The new generation believes that they are supposed to expect a consistent champion, but does not understand what it is to watch a team compete year in and year out for the Stanley Cup. They maintain an expectation and arrogance of the generation before them, yet have zero experience in how to act when they are rewarded with greatness.

This leads them to a ridiculous expectation of every player that is set before them, even though they don't understand what it is to watch a great player every single night.

There is no perspective to understand what Roy looked like from 1987-1988 when he was totally lost and the fans wanted Hayward to play. There is no perspective on when Roy won 3 Vezinas in 4 seasons and the fans wanted to turf him for Andre Racicot in the 1993 playoffs.

At the time, those expectations were ridiculous, but the fans expected a Stanley Cup EVERY YEAR. Their panic was built upon a desperation of not wanting to allow a player to mature or bounce back because the goal was immediate gratification. The spoiled aspect of their tantrums was a little understandable.

Today? This is nonsense. Do you want to win a Stanley Cup or be right about a petty argument you are having with your friend about the mistake the Canadiens made trading Halak? When will the fans look at themselves for the problems that occur with our young goaltenders? Thibault, Theodore and now Price are only free of the venom when they are spectacular. Roy the legend he was, was booed off the ice in his last game. He spent the last 9 seasons of his career being adored in another city because of who?

Nothing changes in Montreal. This has gone on for generations. It is all about idiotic reactionary opinions based more on emotion than logic.

Price has a ton to prove, but Halak would have too. If Halak had a season where his SV% dropped .08 and the Habs missed the playoffs does anybody really believe that we would be talking about his 2010 playoff success? How many ######ing times do we have to see this play out before we realize that the name on the back is unimportant.

Dryden won 5 Cups in 7 seasons and was booed in warmup for game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals. Penney was fantastic in 84 and was driven out of town by Roy in 86. Roy was booed out of town after 2 Stanley Cups, 3 Vezinas and a yearly All-Star nod. Thibault asked to leave because the fans expected him to be Roy. Theodore wins an MVP, Vezina and a miracle playoff run in 2002 and is booed out of town by 2006. Halak was going to get thrown under the bus in the exact same manner as soon as he didn't evoke images of Dominik Hasek.

The best thing that could happen to either of these kids professionally is to be traded from Montreal. Halak will always be deified because he never failed and cost the fanbase anything, as will Desjardins.

This is a constant cycle where the fans refuse to take any responsibility for their self absorbed egotistical behaviour. Constantly rationalizing why it is different this time.

Stupid fans do stupid things. Everybody who booed last night decided their personal agenda outstripped the good of the Canadiens. Those fans are not going anywhere. The fact that the biggest detriment to Price's development lies in the idiotic fanbase not partaking in idiocy is very concerning to me for Price and for whoever suits up in the future.

This fanbase is not sophisticated. It is passionate. Huge difference!

Edited September 23, 2010 by Wamsley01

[JoeLassister]

I had the same thought. The problem is that at that time, Gainey's credibility was through the roof - he was just starting out as GM and uncritically revered by the Montreal fanbase. So when he spoke, fans listened. No one in the Habs' hockey operation now enjoys that remarkable level of credibility. If Gauthier came out and called the boo-birds 'yellow, jealous people,' as Gainey did, the result would probably be to intensify the booing. It would become both a way of jeering Price AND telling Gauthier to shove it. If Gainey did it, people would ignore it as the words of an irrelevant former GM.

So the only candidate for this job is Jean Beliveau. I think they should record a general message from Big Jean saying there's nothing worse for a young player than being booed in his home rink, that 'your canadiens' can't succeed without your support, and urging the fans to cheer on their players as this new season begins. Broadcast it before every game for the first few weeks of the season. Everyone will understand that Price is the real topic of this message. Unless Montreal fans have truly lost their minds, they will shut the f**k up after that, at least for a while.¸

Sadly, I doubt the organization has the creativity and pro-active attitude to do this. They seem to be locked in a mindset that just says 'fans will be fans,' in basic denial of the catastrophic effects that this rabidly insane fan base can have on players. You'd think they'd have learned from the debacle of 2008-09, but I have a feeling they haven't truly absorbed that lesson.

Very interesting idea. Should maybe send it to the Club. Nothing to lose there...

[nikohab]

I'm a fan of Carey Price however I have always argued against keeping him in montreal primarley because of pressure from the fans and from the media. This athlete needs a city that will embrace him and a team that doesn't rush him. My prediction remains the same that Price will not do well this year and be traded away. What a shame it will be on Bob Gainey and Pierre Gautier for overlooking this inevitable outcome that could have been avoided. I wish that I will be proved wrong but I stand firm in my conviction.

[dlbalr]

My 2 cents on the game - Price looked out of it off the get-go but it is only preseason. If he has that type of effort in the last preseason game, then there could be cause for concern. The fans booing, I thought it was classless and unacceptable - it's preseason! I had a similar idea as lazy26 mentioned earlier but the fact that Gauthier doesn't have the clout Gainey did (as also noted earlier) is a valid point. I'd love for a player like Gionta (especially if he will be the captain) to speak up to send those fans a message publicly - he's a respected player and a leader, this could be a good chance to make his first mark.

Aside from that, I was quite happy with the effort after the goalie switch (not so much before it, particularly in the 2nd period). Most of the youngsters looked good, particularly Palushaj (I must admit, I stopped myself partway yelling "Bouillon, stop forechecking" - a little guy wearing #51, honest mistake ) and Maxwell up front. On defence, Tinordi was impressive and Weber had some good, aggressive moments as well. I thought Pyatt was a little quiet but as a defensive player, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

In case anyone didn't see it on the main page, here's HW's 3 Stars: http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=2203

[Wamsley01]

I'm a fan of Carey Price however I have always argued against keeping him in montreal primarley because of pressure from the fans and from the media. This athlete needs a city that will embrace him and a team that doesn't rush him. My prediction remains the same that Price will not do well this year and be traded away. What a shame it will be on Bob Gainey and Pierre Gautier for overlooking this inevitable outcome that could have been avoided. I wish that I will be proved wrong but I stand firm in my conviction.

No goaltender can withstand this pressure. NONE!

One goaltender since the 50s retired a Montreal Canadien. All the others finished their career someplace else.

Plante, Worsley, Vachon, Roy, Thibault, Theodore etc etc etc all gone before their careers were complete.

Replaced before their time.

The only guy who survived had a .750 career winning percentage and 5-6 Vezinas and quit at the age of 31.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Wamsley01

[brobin]

I don't know why you guys are all upset and surprised. Halak was a hero in the city and was dumped without so much as a discussion. Of course a lot of fans are frustrated as they see Price get the nod again and again, without delivering, in there opinions).

Of course it is stupid to boo him, but he had to know it was important to come out and make a good showing. He has to put together some big wins and EARN the respect of the fans, which will stop all this. If he wasn't ready for that, they should have started him away from home so he could tune up elsewhere.

Hopefully he can show some magic and get the fans on his side, but if he can't, then I would be worried about his ability to stand the heat in this town. If he doesn't have the mental toughness, then he just won't cut it. This was a chance the management took. They had to know that Halak had the hearts of many fans, so they must be confident that Price can earn the love too. The fans were for him at the start, but a mixture of soft goals and too much beer earns you jeers in Habsville.

[dlbalr]

I don't know why you guys are all upset and surprised. Halak was a hero in the city and was dumped without so much as a discussion. Of course a lot of fans are frustrated as they see Price get the nod again and again, without delivering, in there opinions).

I'm not surprised so to speak, I think most of us saw it coming. Still doesn't make it right though, that's the part that upsets everyone. There's rooting for your team to win and rooting for a player to fail - things like this suggest there's a lot more people in the latter category than there really should be. It's one thing to be frustrated as there was no public bidding war (there were multiple offers considered before the deal was done though) but the Habs are our team - shouldn't you root for them no matter what, regardless if it's Halak, Price, Auld, or Jimmy the Plumber on a tryout in goal? That's what irks me and a lot of fans scanning the reaction on some of the other boards. (Not directing this at you, just a general statement.)

Heck, if this was their way of vocalizing their boos now before the season starts, never to be seen again, then hopefully some good will come from it.