Admittedly, he had been involved in a handful of practices before that at the Bell Center and seemed sharp enough before a non-COVID-related illness once again sidelined him and pushed his seemingly endless recovery from out-of-knee surgery. But it did not look exactly like that. In this, after the Canadians took their annual photos to honor this season, Price had to share his net with Samuel Montembeault, but he did not seem very generous about it. He stayed there for almost the entire first exercise – a small area collision between the two blue lines – and did most of the work for all the other 50 minutes. The 34-year-old was focused, intense and active. He was like himself, the guy Brendan Gallagher later described as “competitive.” “He does not like to score goals, really, but when he is able to push the aspect and really challenge you, I do not think I have ever seen a goalkeeper who can do that,” said Gallagher. . “The way he can move from side to side and look square at all times is never out of the net. And when he has that strength and that push, he’s a tough guy to beat. “ Gallagher joked that he could not beat Price that day and then said, “Well, he’s ready to go.” Again, it does not appear that Price will return for Tuesday’s game in Montreal with the Ottawa Senators. When asked by Martin St. Louis when he could return – his extended absence begins just weeks after the Canadians lost to Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 Stanley Cup final, extending until the start of the season when he left for treatment. which are called long-term issues with substance use and dragging up to this point – the coach said, “I have no idea.” But St. Louis recognized what seemed obvious to Gallagher, Jake Allen and the rest of us after watching Price training on Monday. He did not deny that Price was approaching. If it’s a mystery to some as to why the organization should want Price to return at this point or why Price should consider returning to racing with 13 competitions left in a season that is likely to end with the Canadians with the first- or The second best odds for the draft lottery in the league, St. Louis summed it up well. “I know about Carey, I think it’s important to see where he stands for himself and how he will do it this summer,” he said. “In order to have some answers in the summer, I think it is very important for his own issue. “For me, if you take a small sample of Carey this year and some encouraging things about him – whether it’s his game or how he feels after his game – I think the Montreal Canadians will be in a better position. It’s Carey Price. “ It was that day and it is vital to know if it will move forward. Canadiens executives Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes – and St. Louis, who will probably reject the midfield label and coach this team next year – need to know what Price looks and feels like after overcoming something that can not be simulated in practice. It is vital that we bring these things together into a sample of games as they continue to revitalize the roster and build into the future. But nothing could be more important than Price proving to himself that he can still play at the level he expects of himself. That is why, despite telling the media in late January that he was unsure he could play again, he did not abandon this mission. “I do not think anyone would blame him for making up for the year,” said Allen, de facto Price’s long-time key player. “He has tried, tried and tried, but I knew he was not going to carry it. I knew he wanted to play. He reaffirmed to me that he wanted to play. He has exceeded the limits as much as he could, and I think there are probably a lot of people abroad who thought ended for the year.I knew he would be back. “It will play. Whether he plays five games or three, I do not know, whatever it is I think it is precisely this mentality behind that he is a competitor. And if I were in his position, I would do the same. I would not want to go there for five months (off-season) and wonder, “Do I still have it or what is the deal here?” All this crazy season we had, he had some ups and downs and now he will have the opportunity to show that Carey will remain (he always was). And obviously, if I was in those shoes, there would be some rust. But if it were me, I would like to prove to myself that I did all this work and it would be for nothing, that I would go back and prove to this organization that I am still here. And I’m sure it’s probably the same way he thinks. “ It seemed obvious that this was and is Price’s mentality to watch him stop shooting after shot and see him push himself to the limit in every exercise — even in the sprints that followed some of the exercises — on Monday. Now his knee has to respond well to his first full workout in weeks. He must endure the next time he steps on the ice and he must allow himself to return to the games and undergo the ultimate test. The fact that Price seems close to preparing for this is a welcome sight for all Canadians. “You are very happy for him as a teammate, as a friend, as a man who made you look good for 10 years,” Gallagher said. “Glad to see him back there. You know what it means for him to return to the ice – even small steps like this to return to training with the team will mean a lot to him. “It’s closer. I do not know when it will be, but it is approaching. And, as his teammates, you are excited and happy for the press. “
