The pressure on Price? “You win and lose as a team”, he recalls

Photo: Ryan Remiorz, The canadian Press
The director general of the Canadian, Marc Bergevin, like to repeat that once in the playoffs, anything is possible when you rely on a goalie of the caliber of Price.

Since we know that the Canadian will face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the series of qualification for the NHL, several observers say that the chances of the club to take this step rests on the shoulders of Carey Price. However, the guardian featured a well intention not to do with this pressure and keep his legendary calm.

The Penguins have amassed 15 more points than the Habs in the course of the winter, even if they have played two games less. They will be led by Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, if he is healthy, Jake Guentzel, and Kristopher Letang. For his part, the Habs counting on several young players who do not have the experience of the series and a few question marks in the defensive.

The director general of the Canadian, Marc Bergevin, like to repeat that once in the playoffs, anything is possible when you rely on a goalie of the caliber of Price. The main concerned, he recalled that he could not do it alone.

“I want to play my game and not try to do too much. You win and lose as a team, said Price. I can change with my game, but we all have to overcome if we want to win. “

The Canadian is trying to build his confidence on his recent performance against the Penguins. The Habs has compiled a record of 3-2-1 in the face of the band to Crosby over the last two campaigns.

As said defender Jeff Petry last week, the Canadian also seems to raise his game up a notch in the face of the advanced teams of the NHL and play his best hockey when nobody expects it.

“I think everyone realizes that you need to be at your best when you play against a elite team, has reiterated that Price on Monday. Our group understands it.

“(The Penguins) are outstanding since long. It is exciting to play against a team that has two of the best players in the league. […] When we play to the best of our abilities, we can compete with any club in the league. (The Penguins) have talent, but we also have confidence in our means. “

Even if the numerical advantage of the Penguins was ranked 16th in the NHL with an efficiency of 19.9 % during the winter, the special units could be the nerve of the war in the short series of qualification to the best-of-five encounters. However, head coach Claude Julien has brought out the old cliché according to which the defensive was the key in a march to a championship.

“The digital advantage will not be able to tell the difference if you are not effective at five-on-five or shorthanded, he noted. Especially as the majority of games are played five against five. The numerical advantage can play an important role, but this is not because it produces that you’re going to win.

“Because you face the same team for a few games in a row, it also becomes easier to adjust shorthanded,” added Julien.

There is no doubt that with Malkin, Crosby, Guentzel, Letang, Justin Schultz, Patrick Marleau, and maybe Patric Hornqivst, the Penguins have the potential to do damage in numerical advantage.

Price has found a somewhat original to neutralize the massive attack of the Penguins.

“We could ask them nicely to stay at the hotel during matches “, he said, tongue-in-cheek.

“We can also work as a unit to reduce their time and space on the ice, he added with a little more seriousness. The recipe is simple shorthanded. It is necessary to know how to apply pressure at the right time and pass judgments of quality. “

Easier said than done, but with Price, it may be that it is possible to believe in a little bit.

To see the video