It’s not every day that a Vezina and Hart trophy winner allows seven goals in one game but that’s just what Carey Price did on Thursday night against the Minnesota Wild.
The last time Price allowed more than six goals was back in 2013 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Amazingly, it’s the 10th time that it has happened in his career.
Price hasn’t exactly been himself over the past couple of weeks. In fact, he has been letting in more goals than his career .922 save percentage and 2.28 goals-against average numbers suggest.
The Wild got to Price early in Thursday’s game. Christian Folin scored in the first 2:30 of the game but Price was able to rebound after that and head to the first intermission down just the one tally.
The wheels started to fall off in the second when the Wild tagged Price for three goals before adding another three in the third. The first six goals only took 19 shots. Minnesota had 24 by game’s end, resulting in a save percentage of .708 for the Habs’ netminder.
After the game, Price was asked if he would have preferred if head coach Michel Therrien pulled him.
“Nobody else has the opportunity to get pulled during a game so I’d rather stick it out,” Price told reporters.
Even though the night was a disaster for both the Canadiens collectively and Price individually, the 29-year-old still seemed calm and collected as he handed his stick to a fan.
It was definitely a better way to leave than when he was infamously pulled a few weeks earlier.
