Goaltender Carey Price will be out of action for at least another week, Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said Tuesday.
The Canadiens are optimistic that last season’s Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goaltender and Hart Trophy recipient as MVP won’t be out for the long term, however.
Therrien said Price sought a second opinion on his lower-body injury from a doctor in New York on Monday and got the same diagnosis team doctors had given him.
“He was worried a bit,” said Therrien. “The good news is it’s the same thing as our doctor [diagnosed] in Montreal.
“It’s good for him, mentally. There’s no worry. He’s not going to play this week. We hope he’ll be able to get on the ice pretty soon, so this is good news.”
The Canadiens (13-2-1) play only twice this week: Wednesday night in Pittsburgh and Saturday at home against Colorado.
‘Carey [Price] is the best goalie in the world and it’s tough that he’s out right now, but it’s the backup’s job to be ready when the opportunity comes.’
– Canadiens netminder Mike Condon
Price has missed five games since suffering the injury in a 4-3 defeat in Edmonton on Oct. 29. Rookie Mike Condon has been spectacular in relief, going 4-0-1 over that stretch with only eight goals allowed.
Since Price last played in a 4-3 loss in Edmonton on Oct. 29, the 25-year-old Condon has gone 4-0-1 and allowed only eight goals.
“I don’t think about it too much,” said the rookie from the Boston area. “Obviously, Carey is the best goalie in the world and it’s tough that he’s out right now, but it’s the backup’s job to be ready when the opportunity comes.”
Condon has actually posted slightly better numbers than Price this season. Price is 7-2-0 with a 2.01 goals-against average and .936 save percentage while Condon is 6-0-1 with a 1.57 GAA and .940 save percentage.
“He’s taking his first steps in the NHL and he got an opportunity to play more than he probably expected with the injury to Price,” said Therrien. “He responded the right way. He’s taking the good approach of playing one game at a time.”
Condon still has a long way to go to catch Patrick Lalime’s record 16 games without a loss (14-0-2) to start his NHL career with the Penguins in 1996-’97. But Condon only thinks of the next game he has to play.
And he said he isn’t getting tired yet.
“In Wheeling [in the ECHL], we played four games in five nights, so this is almost like a rest,” Condon said.
Even though he can’t play, Price was set to make the flight to Pittsburgh with his father.
Most of his teammates also had their dads on the trip, an annual affair for many NHL clubs. Condon’s father is to see his son play an NHL game for the first time in Pittsburgh.
Source: www.cbc.ca/sports