Price Is Right

Montreal Canadiens goalie plays a key role in club’s early dominance.

- Stephen Laroche 

IN 2015-16, the Montreal Canadiens were off to a fantastic start with nine straight victories and looked as if they were going to be a serious contender for the Stanley Cup. Many of the pieces were in place for a successful season thanks to some incredible play from goaltender Carey Price, who was coming off an incredible 2014-15 campaign where he won several awards, including the Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy.

It appeared as if he was ready to repeat that success, but a knee injury derailed those hopes and the Habs suddenly looked very ordinary without him.

The Canadiens missed the playoffs, but there was at least some hope heading into this season as Price was healthy and served notice of this by backstopping Canada to victory at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. While he missed some early games due to illness, he returned to the crease on October 20 and defeated the Arizona Coyotes.

Defeat would not be a part of Price’s vocabulary over his following appearances and he won 10 in a row, including shutouts against the Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings. By the time he experienced his first loss of the year, he went 11-0-1 and Montreal was firmly entrenched in the top spot in the Eastern Conference.