Carey Price and the Olympics

[Commandant]

We are 11 games into the year now, and the Olympic Teams will be picked in just over 2 months.

Based on his play to date, Price has to be considered a very strong candidate for the Olympic Squad.

If ihe makes it, what does it mean for the Montreal Canadiens.

http://lastwordonsports.com/2013/10/27/carey-price-team-canada-and-the-possible-effect-on-the-habs-season/

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Personally I care more about the Montreal Canadiens than Team Canada but I'm sure it means a lot for Price. For me it just creates another thing for someone to point at positively or negatively about the team goalie that has absolutely zero to do with the entire team performance, which is the real indicator of how far the team can go.

[Dalhabs]

Hope he goes but as the backup. Playing a couple of games to stay in gameshape.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

The Habs aren't contenders this year anyway. If Price becomes Canada's starter and Canada goes on to win gold, that will be a HUGE source of experience and a well-spring of confidence he can draw from going forward - and which will benefit the team down the road. So I think we should see this as an opportunity for him to take the 'next step' in solidifying himself as a championship-calibre goaltender, not as some sort of negative ('oh, it'll tire him out for the playoffs,' etc.).

[dlbalr]

If ihe makes it, what does it mean for the Montreal Canadiens.

We'll be seeing more of Budaj in the games shortly following the Olympics.

[Neech]

The Habs aren't contenders this year anyway. If Price becomes Canada's starter and Canada goes on to win gold, that will be a HUGE source of experience and a well-spring of confidence he can draw from going forward - and which will benefit the team down the road. So I think we should see this as an opportunity for him to take the 'next step' in solidifying himself as a championship-calibre goaltender, not as some sort of negative ('oh, it'll tire him out for the playoffs,' etc.).

On the flip side, what would an Olympic failure do to him?

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

On the flip side, what would an Olympic failure do to him?

Well, if he plays well and they lose to a better team, then I think it will be a great experience from which he can hold his head high.

If he cracks under the pressure, then we may as well know now that he can't handle that kind of environment, rather than discovering this in a Stanley Cup run.

Everyone seems so scared of Price failing. He's 26 and a 7-year NHL veteran. He's not a baby, he's a man. Time we bloody well started thinking of him as one.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

Well, if he plays well and they lose to a better team, then I think it will be a great experience from which he can hold his head high.

If he cracks under the pressure, then we may as well know now that he can't handle that kind of environment, rather than discovering this in a Stanley Cup run.

Everyone seems so scared of Price failing. He's 26 and a 7-year NHL veteran. He's not a baby, he's a man. Time we bloody well started thinking of him as one.

Reminds me of a song an old gf liked. "We're going to stay 18 forever, we're all cool kids and we take what we can get."

[hab29RETIRED]

How did the 98 failure impact Roy?

On the flip side, what would an Olympic failure do to him?

100% agree

Well, if he plays well and they lose to a better team, then I think it will be a great experience from which he can hold his head high.

If he cracks under the pressure, then we may as well know now that he can't handle that kind of environment, rather than discovering this in a Stanley Cup run.

Everyone seems so scared of Price failing. He's 26 and a 7-year NHL veteran. He's not a baby, he's a man. Time we bloody well started thinking of him as one.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

On the flip side, what would an Olympic failure do to him?

On the flip, flip side, let's see what Price can do with a real defense behind him. (Because he's never had the defense that can win more than a round in the playoffs).

[Neech]

How did the 98 failure impact Roy?

Not a good comparison, Roy already had three Cups and two Conne Smythes under his belt.

On the flip, flip side, let's see what Price can do with a real defense behind him. (Because he's never had the defense that can win more than a round in the playoffs).

Let's hope the defense isn't behind him!

And on a more serious note, you're in trouble if Team Canada is your standard of what a real defense looks like.

[DON]

The Habs aren't contenders this year anyway. If Price becomes Canada's starter and Canada goes on to win gold, that will be a HUGE source of experience and a well-spring of confidence he can draw from going forward - and which will benefit the team down the road. So I think we should see this as an opportunity for him to take the 'next step' in solidifying himself as a championship-calibre goaltender, not as some sort of negative ('oh, it'll tire him out for the playoffs,' etc.).

Sorry but I will go with, "oh it'll tire him out for playoffs" and same goes for Subban and all Habs players. There is no question a couple week holiday in mid-winter would be better for players health, than travelling to Russia.

Not a big fan of Olympics, I will check-out some events for sure and hockey games with any Hab players/prospects playing, and pull for every Canadian, but if only had amateurs playing that would be fine by me. Millionaire pro athletes just don't seem to fit with amateurs who must work part time jobs, to supplement training costs and simply get by.

Also, not sure how you can simply state Habs arnt contenders; sure, are not a cup favorite in Vegas, but I think were very similar cup odds in 86 after being dispatched by Nordiques the year before and with Oiler team looking crazy good?

Still 5 or 6 months till playoffs and you think might as well toss in towel, tank season and trade for future right away I suppose?

[Neech]

I think the 'getting tired' argument is valid for Subban and Pleks and the rest of the skaters, but not so much for goalies. And we have Budaj who can take some extra games, but no such replacement for the other guys.

[DON]

I think the 'getting tired' argument is valid for Subban and Pleks and the rest of the skaters, but not so much for goalies. And we have Budaj who can take some extra games, but no such replacement for the other guys.

U r joking about Budaj arnt you?

If Price happens to get hurt, Habs will be in running for Sam Reinhart.

[Neech]

U r joking about Budaj arnt you?

If Price happens to get hurt, Habs will be in running for Sam Reinhart.

I think you misunderstood me. I was saying that Budaj can play a few games so Price can rest after the Olympics, but there's no such option for Subban, Pleks, etc.

[Habsy]

Personally I care more about the Montreal Canadiens than Team Canada but I'm sure it means a lot for Price. For me it just creates another thing for someone to point at positively or negatively about the team goalie that has absolutely zero to do with the entire team performance, which is the real indicator of how far the team can go.

I agree. Let CBC and TSN put Bernier and Reimer on the team. I really don't care.

[DON]

I think you misunderstood me. I was saying that Budaj can play a few games so Price can rest after the Olympics, but there's no such option for Subban, Pleks, etc.

In 2010 playoffs Luongo had just about worst GAA and save% after winning gold and he didn't have to travel to Russia.

So for sure would be a nice career achievement for Price and he may deserve to be there, I (selfishly I guess) don't see it as good for Price's NHL season.

[Commandant]

Slovakia isn't exactly the strongest team.

Could Budaj go as backup to Halak?

[habs rule]

I think the 'getting tired' argument is valid for Subban and Pleks and the rest of the skaters, but not so much for goalies. And we have Budaj who can take some extra games, but no such replacement for the other guys.

I agree with you. As a former, goaltender, I have never understood the "goalies get tired if they play too many games" thing. We expect the forwards to play 82 games at full speed, up and down the ice, with no nights off. But a goalie who really never moves more than 30 feet and that is an exaggeration, needs time off? A goalie stops maybe 30 -40 shots a night of which 20 of them he could stop in his sleep. If a team gets 10 good scoring opportunities in a game that is considered good. So I want to know what the heck is tiring him out? As a goalie I wanted to play every night, every minute, I hated sitting on the bench, watching. I think most goalies are like that. I do understand though, that you need your backup to have minutes playing. And that only makes sense, But I can't remember a goal tender ever saying "oh I was overtired, I played too much". Anyone remember Dryden? He leaned on his stick for 50 minutes a game. How could he get tired? he had 10 shots on him. Practice was a bitch, but the game was fun. Just sayin,

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Habsrule, I'll defer to your goaltending expertise, but NHL goalies probably face a level of physical and mental/emotional demands players or non-NHL goalies don't, and I could see where it could tire a guy out. But I'm not a goalie.

I'm a little puzzled that so many people around here don't want to see their guy playing with the very best in the world, for the most prestigious championship on earth, and discount the benefits this experience could bring. Heck, Mario Lemieux explicitly said he learned what it took to bring his talent to its highest level by playing with Gretzky in the Canada Cup. If Price backstops Canada to gold, it's not only Team Canada that benefits, but the Habs, at least in the longer run.

[Neech]

Habsrule, I'll defer to your goaltending expertise, but NHL goalies probably face a level of physical and mental/emotional demands players or non-NHL goalies don't, and I could see where it could tire a guy out. But I'm not a goalie.

I'm a little puzzled that so many people around here don't want to see their guy playing with the very best in the world, for the most prestigious championship on earth, and discount the benefits this experience could bring. Heck, Mario Lemieux explicitly said he learned what it took to bring his talent to its highest level by playing with Gretzky in the Canada Cup. If Price backstops Canada to gold, it's not only Team Canada that benefits, but the Habs, at least in the longer run.

I think Price and Subban have the most to gain in the confidence and experience department (with Price also potentially having the most to lose... knock wood). But is that really more valuable than a large rest right before the stretch drive? It's debatable. For the others, Markov and Pleks especially, I'd rather they get the rest. There's also the risk of injury, which could be catastrophic or small aggravations (again, while everyone else is healing). Overall, the bad outweighs the good in my opinion, which I'd hazard is shared by most NHL coaches and executives.

[REV-G]

Just a thought about Price. I often hear or read that Price had an off or poor year last year. I think Price had a good year but faltered down the stretch and then was hurt at the end. People keep saying that Price is a horse and can play 65-70 games.

I wonder if that may be the problem. Maybe he's being played too much and needs to play fewer games so he can be stronger at the end of the season and the playoffs. There may be a pattern to his late season downturn and injuries and maybe his playing time should be something they look at and maybe reduce a little.

Adding in the Olympics for him may not be a good thing for our team's success.

[Colin]

Just a thought about Price. I often hear or read that Price had an off or poor year last year. I think Price had a good year but faltered down the stretch and then was hurt at the end. People keep saying that Price is a horse and can play 65-70 games.

I wonder if that may be the problem. Maybe he's being played too much and needs to play fewer games so he can be stronger at the end of the season and the playoffs. There may be a pattern to his late season downturn and injuries and maybe his playing time should be something they look at and maybe reduce a little.

Adding in the Olympics for him may not be a good thing for our team's success.

That's a pretty reasonable hypothesis, for sure. To be honest, though, I'm not sure I agree. My opinion, as I watched Price's game degenerate as the season unfolded, was that he was unsupported off the ice. Every goalie has bad games, and when that happens, they often get an extra night off and you hear about them working with coaching to target issues. I don't recall hearing that last season. I also feel that he lost more and more control of himself in the crease as the season progressed - and a good goalie coach should have caught that and worked with Carey to eliminate the extraneous movements.

I truly believe the best move MB has done since coming to Montreal (and he's done a lot of great moves) was to hire Waite. The difference in Carey's game thus far has been substantial and his consistency level has been excellent. (And I don't care about the "howler" he allowed the other night because every goalie in hockey has a few of those a year - it's part of the trade.) It may still be relatively early in the season, but I'm looking forward to watching Price's continued evolution into elite goaltender.

Kudos have to go to MB and the coaching staff for pulling Carey over the humps in his game (and Price himself for obviously working hard).

[DON]

Just a thought about Price. I often hear or read that Price had an off or poor year last year. I think Price had a good year but faltered down the stretch and then was hurt at the end. People keep saying that Price is a horse and can play 65-70 games.

I wonder if that may be the problem. Maybe he's being played too much and needs to play fewer games so he can be stronger at the end of the season and the playoffs. There may be a pattern to his late season downturn and injuries and maybe his playing time should be something they look at and maybe reduce a little.

Adding in the Olympics for him may not be a good thing for our team's success.

I think you don't need to say "may" and Olympics is a negative for Habs season, other than padding career resume and national pride for several of them; which some will say is good enough reason for them to go.

I kinda hope Luongo, Crawford and Mike Smith stand on their heads for next 2 months, but if Price deserves to go, great for him, hope he does well and I will cheer him on and pull for another gold like everyone else.

[dlbalr]

Slovakia isn't exactly the strongest team.

Could Budaj go as backup to Halak?

I think at this point, Budaj is pretty much a lock to make the team. If he plays as backup though, he shouldn't be as potentially tired as Price if he's the starter for Canada.