Carey Price didn’t bite when he was handed an easy opening to compare his Canadiens years with the way Montreal is built now. Asked whether he ever wishes he had played behind today’s offense, Price answered with the kind of restraint that tells you everything you need to know about him.
He could have gone another direction. He could have pointed to the lean scoring support he sometimes had to live with in Montreal. Instead, he gave credit where he thought it belonged and kept the focus on the current group.
“The first thing I think of is that, you know, the teams I played on were very defensive-minded, so that benefitted me, you know. And I look at the team that they have now, and they’re so exciting and explosive offensively that I really think they’ve got a chance to win, and I’m so excited to watch them every night. It’s a fun team to watch and to cheer on.
- Carey Price
That answer lands differently when you remember what Price meant to the Canadiens over 15 NHL seasons. He played all 15 of them in Montreal, finished with 361 wins in 712 games, and posted a .917 save percentage while often being asked to keep the team afloat.
So when the question came up, the easy path was right there. Price passed on it.
And it’s not as if the comparison is hard to make. Montreal is 11-3-4 through 18 games, good for fifth in the NHL and second in the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens have scored 62 goals and allowed 55, a +7 goal differential that shows an offense giving its goalies a little more room to breathe.
That’s what made Karine Hains’ question so interesting in the first place. Price spent plenty of nights in Montreal where one goal felt like a mountain. This version of the Canadiens can make mistakes and still keep rolling.
The bigger takeaway, though, is the way Price handled the moment. He didn’t use it to revisit old frustrations or separate himself from the teams he played on. He showed loyalty to the players who shared his locker room.
Montreal is coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild and now heads to Boston to face the Bruins on Thursday.
And Price, as always, leaves the impression of someone whose value to the Canadiens was never limited to the numbers. The wins and saves are there. So is the respect.
In Other News...
Canadiens Suddenly Face A Bigger Concern Ahead Of Bruins Trip
Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans were both absent from Canadiens practice Wednesday, with the team classifying the missed session as maintenance following the clubs most recent game. Montreal confirmed the two forwards were not on the ice but did not offer any further detail, leaving the group to sort through a little more uncertainty as it prepares for a trip to Boston.
Suzukis status is the more notable concern because he briefly left Tuesdays game before returning and scoring Montreals only goal, while Evans had already been managing discomfort since Monday. For a team heading into a divisional matchup with the Bruins, any question about the availability of two important centers is worth watching closely, especially with no immediate update on whether either will be ready to go. [Read more 🡒]
Cole Caufield Just Sparked A Bigger Canadiens Debate Than The Loss
Cole Caufield turned a frustrating night into a larger conversation for the Canadiens after Montreals overtime loss to Minnesota, shifting the focus from the result to how NHL games are being officiated. The forward took aim at the way referees handle controversial calls, adding another layer to a game that already left the Canadiens with plenty to sort through.
What made his comments resonate was the broader point behind them: Caufield wants more accountability from officials and believes they should be able to explain what they saw instead of simply signaling a penalty and moving on. For a Canadiens team still chasing consistency, it is the kind of postgame critique that can linger well beyond one loss, especially when it taps into a league-wide debate about transparency on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Suzuki Scare Had Canadiens Fans Holding Their Breath
Nick Suzuki gave Canadiens fans a scare in the third period, leaving the game briefly before returning to the ice and settling things down in a hurry. Montreals captain has been a central part of the clubs offense all season, appearing in 12 of the teams 18 games and continuing to drive play at the top of the lineup.
The good news for Montreal is that the concern did not linger long after the final whistle, with the team indicating Suzuki is fine after his short absence. Even so, any moment like that tends to tighten the mood around a team that leans so heavily on its top center, especially when he has been one of the most important contributors to the Canadiens attack. [Read more 🡒]