Carey Price is going to be a superstar for the Montreal Canadiens. No question about it. But at the tender age of 21 is he ready to take on the pressure of becoming the number one goalie in one of the most rabid hockey markets in the world?

The man who wears Canadiens jersey number 31 almost looks to be without a pulse at times, appearing nonchalant even during furious action in his team's defensive zone. But under that cool exterior there are at times some butterflies, as evinced by Price's less than stellar play in the second round of last year's playoffs.

No one is blaming Price. He was only 20 years old at the time, and had only recently been thrust into the role as the Canadiens' number one tender after Huet was moved at the trade deadline. Bob Gainey took a big risk laying all that on the rookie's shoulders at such a young age. Montreal finished first in the Eastern Conference, and had their goaltending been a little better, might have had a shot at ending Montreal's 15 year Stanley Cup drought. Still, it was a valuable, if bitter, experience for the young Habs' goalie at an age when most goalies his age are still honing their craft in the minors.

The big question is how Carey Price will bounce back after the disappointing exit in last year's playoffs. If he can funnel that disappointment into determination he might just have a Vezina calibre season. However, if the experience has shaken his confidence then he may find himself in a similar position to that which Marc-Andre Fleury did a few years back. If that is the case, the Habs will likely be shopping for a new number one who can hold the fort while Price develops into the Allstar he will surely become.

Fans of the Montreal Canadiens obviously don't want to see that particular scenario come to pass. They see in Carey Price the next Patrick Roy or Ken Dryden, and a trip back to the minors would all but snuff out that mystique. Being measured against such names is surely daunting for the young goalie, but such is life as a Montreal Canadien.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 at 10:15 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.