Despite his inconsistent play the last few years, is Carey Price still Canada's first choice goalie?

[Pavel Buchnevich]

You Sir know absolutely nothing about goaltending. The reason price plays bad a lot is because of his age and injury history. If he doesn't play every Habs game he wouldn't have had these issues and been better. Look at his success in the playoffs every year which is much better than in thy regular season and correlate that to the elimination play of the Olympics. If price is in shape come Olympics he's a lock.

I’m not the one who has to do much justifying. I can point to how we measure all players in the NHL. Habs fans are the ones who have to cherry pick and use excuses, so I guess I’m just so ignorant to believe we should judge Price the way we judge other NHL’ers.

 

[cg98]

I’m not the one who has to do much justifying. I can point to how we measure all players in the NHL. Habs fans are the ones who have to cherry pick and use excuses, so I guess I’m just so ignorant to believe we should judge Price the way we judge other NHL’ers.

something where you're finally not wrong

 

[Sanchise90]

Yes, he will, but it's only because as a country, Canada has struggled to develop goalies, especially relative to our other positions. We haven't been developing goalies at all and it shows because we haven't had a young goalie come and knock Price or MAF off the mantle. Just a quick comparison to other countries:

- Russia has Vasilevsky, Sorokin and Samsonov
- The USA has Hellebuyck, Gibson, Demko and Petersen
- Finland has Saros and Kahkonen

Carter Hart was thought to be the guy, but he took a massive step back this year. Blackwood is still a maybe, not quite sure about him. Honestly, it will probably be Price or MAF almost by default...

 

[Sanchise90]

He’s cruising during the regular season? So what. He’s been lights out every. Single. Playoff. He’s been in for the past 7 years. He has an olympic gold medal already and is undefeated since the beginning of his career on international ground.

Here’s your sample size: When it really matters, he shows and performs. Nevermind the fact that it’s been what, 7 years straight that he’s been named the best goalie in the league by its peer (shooters) in an anonymous poll.

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. Price is Canada’s #1 uncontested goalie until proven otherwise

WTF I believe that Price is probably Canada's best choice, but you are off your rocker if you think Price "cruises during the regular season" and that's why he has the numbers he does.

So, by your immaculate logic, Price puts up mediocre at best regular season stats cause he cruises to set himself up for the playoffs. He cruises with a mediocre team who wouldn't have made the playoffs last year if not for the play-in expanding to 24 teams and probably wouldn't have made it this year if not for residing in an awful division.

Yet, guys like Vasilevsky, Fleury, Grubauer, Varlamov who are on markedly better teams, put up amazing stats on really good teams. So what, is their cruising just better? Funny how this cruising doesn't seem to apply to other goalies that are elite in the regular season and the playoffs. Someone should've told John Gibson he should just cruise and f*** off in Anaheim, at least he could've enjoyed vacationing early...

You can make your point about Price without saying things like he's "cruising during the regular season", it just makes you sound ridiculous...

 

[chaosrevolver]

If only Habs had Kuemper in nets.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

I’m not the one who has to do much justifying. I can point to how we measure all players in the NHL. Habs fans are the ones who have to cherry pick and use excuses, so I guess I’m just so ignorant to believe we should judge Price the way we judge other NHL’ers.

I'd ask if you have flying cars in your reality, but based on your posts I'd be amazed if it Idiocracy isn't a documentary on your realty.

Seen the 1st page and you're there saying 1 thing doesn't matter, we have to compare it to his body of work in the NHL. You say his international play doesn't matter because of the team he plays behind, but that isn't a factor in the NHL ?

It's not best goalie in the league, it's best Canadian goalie and Canada doesn't have a lot of competition. Price has shown he can play beyond exceptional in international play.

Price and Fleury are easily the 2 going. Price is likely the starter and no one gives a f*** who the 3rd string goalie..

 

[shello]

It's gotta be between Price and Fleury still which is unfortunately sad

 

[biturbo19]

Yes, he will, but it's only because as a country, Canada has struggled to develop goalies, especially relative to our other positions. We haven't been developing goalies at all and it shows because we haven't had a young goalie come and knock Price or MAF off the mantle. Just a quick comparison to other countries:

- Russia has Vasilevsky, Sorokin and Samsonov
- The USA has Hellebuyck, Gibson, Demko and Petersen
- Finland has Saros and Kahkonen

Carter Hart was thought to be the guy, but he took a massive step back this year. Blackwood is still a maybe, not quite sure about him. Honestly, it will probably be Price or MAF almost by default...

It's certainly true, that Canada has seemed to struggle to produce that next "elite" goaltender to supplant Price for the future. But in fairness, most of those guys listed (Vasilevsky, Hellebuyck, Gibson aside) probably wouldn't be supplanting Price for Canada either. Not at this point. Not with him as the incumbent and still playing at a top level in the playoffs right now.

I wouldn't altogether write off Carter Hart either. He had a rough year, but that can happen with young guys thrust into expectations like that, on a team that kind of imploded as a whole. He could very easily bounce back in the coming years. And there are other younger guys who have potential, even if none of them have clearly jumped out to a convincing start like some of the US/Russian guys.

If you look around the league though, it's not as though Canada isn't still producing plenty of solid NHL caliber goaltenders. A quick headcount, ballparks it at about a full third of the "roster goalies" (#1 and 2 guys) around the league, are Canadian. That's not nothing. It's just lacking that keystone "elite" young guy coming along to replace Price as heir apparent.

But then...Price is still showing in these playoffs, that he's still someone who would be incredibly difficult to supplant for Canada anyway. He's got the pedigree and track record, and is playing when it matters, at a more than high enough level to suit Canada's needs for an Olympic tournament. So there's arguably still some time to find that guy, if Price is still at this level come the next "top level tournament", that maybe buys you 4 years from whenever that tournament is, to find the "next guy", who might even only be 18 or 20 and in the minors or amateur level right now.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

If the Olympics were tomorrow, Price would be the starter.

Fleury would be the #2.

The 3rd doesn’t matter.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

It's gotta be between Price and Fleury still which is unfortunately sad

Sad for who?

The starter for the ‘14 Olympic team and ‘16 World Cup team, backed up by the modern day Patrick Roy (check the numbers).

Sad for you?

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Yes, he will, but it's only because as a country, Canada has struggled to develop goalies, especially relative to our other positions.

Nah. It's because he's one of the best goalies - if not the best - in the game.

 

[Maffew]

I'm glad threads like these exist so I know who to add to my ignore list.

What's apparent is that some people don't understand that when the stakes get raised, many players take it up a notch, and some take it up several notches. It's an intangible fact. Comparing regular season play to best-of-7 playoffs or international best-versus-best tournaments is not a reasonable comparison for people who really watch the game.

 

[DearDiary]

It's gotta be between Price and Fleury still which is unfortunately sad

Why?

Price is still an elite goaltender saddled by a bad team, while Fluery despite turning 37 is a top 3 goalie in the league.

 

[bobholly39]

Cannot wait to see how the poster you quoted is gonna shift the goalposts on this.

It's been addressed.

How about you reply to what I wrote?

I didn't give you excuses. I challenged you with facts. Then you ran away.

Don't hold your breath on him actually responding. When things don't go his way - he ignores posts.

This is the same poster who was arguing Shesterkin should be in consideration for the #1 best goalie in the world after his 9 game start last season (which is hilarious, because although he did do good in those 9 starts, Carey Price so happened to be having a much better 9 game sample in the exact same stretch - which he ignores).

 

[shello]

Sad for who?

The starter for the ‘14 Olympic team and ‘16 World Cup team, backed up by the modern day Patrick Roy (check the numbers).

Sad for you?

Kind of weird to make it personal. Sad that Canada's goaltending pipeline doesn't have any current undisputed young stars in addition to their vets. When Price and Fleury were in their early 20's, Canada was blessed with having Luongo and Brodeur.

 

[shello]

Why?

Price is still an elite goaltender saddled by a bad team, while Fluery despite turning 37 is a top 3 goalie in the league.

Sad that those are the only two considerations. As I said to another poster, when Price and Fleury were young stars, Canada had a deeper pipeline in net.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Don't hold your breath on him actually responding. When things don't go his way - he ignores posts.

This is the same poster who was arguing Shesterkin should be in consideration for the #1 best goalie in the world after his 9 game start last season (which is hilarious, because although he did do good in those 9 starts, Carey Price so happened to be having a much better 9 game sample in the exact same stretch - which he ignores).

Link?

You are the one that wants us to judge your team’s player differently than we judge every other player in the league.

It’d be so ironic if you claimed someone else decides to end the discussion prematurely, and then you are asked to back up your claims, and choose not to reply.

 

[JianYang]

I’ll go with the bigger NHL sample. I think that’s more predictive of how he’ll play. Also, his record and goals allowed is less impressive than you make it seem. He plays for the overwhelming best team internationally. When it’s in a league where there’s parity, we see he doesn’t play anywhere near as well. All Canadian goalies in the NHL should have much better international numbers than NHL numbers.

To be balanced, if you're going to bring up the strength of the canadian team card, should we not also consider the lack of strength of the habs defense affecting his numbers?

I think it's between price and fleury if Canada needed a starter today.

 

[JianYang]

Dude does seem to step it up in important games, and when he's on there aren't a whole lot of goalies that can match his level.

Or would Canada decide to look elsewhere for their starting goalie in best-on-best play?

Price is kind of in the same situation as Luongo was back in 2014 in terms of where he is in his career, except price doesn't have a superstar goalie in his absolute prime breathing down his neck the way Luongo did.

 

[bobholly39]

Link?

You are the one that wants us to judge your team’s player differently than we judge every other player in the league.

It’d be so ironic if you claimed someone else decides to end the discussion prematurely, and then you are asked to back up your claims, and choose not to reply.

Link? You have like 47 000 posts. You want me to go search through them to find one from well over a year ago? That's funny

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Link? You have like 47 000 posts. You want me to go search through them to find one from well over a year ago? That's funny

In other words, you make a claim that you have no idea if it’s true, and when asked to back it up, you can’t.

I think that speaks for itself.

 

[wetcoast]

In other words, you make a claim that you have no idea if it’s true, and when asked to back it up, you can’t.

I think that speaks for itself.

As I recall you were really pumping his tires for the Calder after his hot start, right?

I have to admit that goalies are the hardest to grade individually but Price is #1 for Canada until someone else takes it away.

But for an “elite” goalie his consistency is questionable right?

 

[Sasha Orlov]

He’s the best goaltender in the world so yes

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

As I recall you were really pumping his tires for the Calder after his hot start, right?

I've been discussing his play, which there isn't much bad to discuss, for years. Was I probably discussing, in positive terms, his first games in the league? I probably was. However, thats very different from what that person said.

If you want to make an accusatory claim against someone, be prepared to back it up. That guy obviously wasn't. I didn't bother him. He comes in here and attacks me with something he has no clue if its actually true, and then when asked for receipts, he makes excuses for why he can't give them. It seems like he got mad that I wasn't discussing Price in the terms he wanted, so he tried to attack me, not my opinion on Price. This is the extent some go to in defending this guy. Instead of making an argument against why we should judge Price differently than every other player in the league, they make claims that they don't know if they are true, but they hope it will stick and can discredit the person who made the obvious points.

 

[rocketman588]

I will say that we are pretty lucky that this tournament is in 2022 and not 23/24

Hockey Canada is in a transition from what was basically the 03 world junior team into the current crop of stars.

2026 the transition is most likely complete 2024 I think we'd be in a tough spot

Although the 2018 team got hosed because on paper it was going to be the best we've ever put on ice