Montreal Canadiens fans were dealt a serious blow on Monday when head coach Michel Therrien announced goaltender Carey Price would miss the rest of the Eastern Conference final.
Price suffered an apparent leg injury during Game 1 when New York Rangers’ forward Chris Kreider crashed the net. Price sat out during the game’s third period while backup netminder Peter Budaj played between the pipes.
Budaj gave up three goals in eight shots.
The news of Price’s injury comes after an embarrassing 7-2 loss for the Habs on home ice in the series opener. It was the worst playoff defeat Montreal has suffered since an 8-2 loss to Carolina in 2002.
Price, who won a gold medal for Team Canada at the Sochi Olympics, is arguably the backbone of the Habs squad, and he will surely be missed by his teammates.
Therrien hasn’t chosen his new frontman yet, but he has two solid options in Peter Budaj and Dustin Tokarski.
Peter Budaj
The Slovakian goaltender appeared in 24 games for Montreal this season, finishing with a 10-8-3 record and .909 save percentage. Budaj took over for Price after the gold-medal winner returned from Sochi with a lower-body injury. Budaj started seven out of eight games while Price was sidelined, and he put up a 3.51 goals-against average. The veteran has made seven playoff game appearances, posting a 5.13 goals-against average.
Dustin Tokarski
The 24-year-old goaltender spent the majority of the season with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. However, Tokarski was called up to Montreal to back up Peter Budaj while Price was injured in February. Tokarski made two starts for the Habs this year, and they were rather impressive. He made 39 saves in regulation to help lead the Canadiens to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Anaheim Ducks, and he later recorded his first NHL shutout in a 2-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres. The youngster brings with him AHL playoff experience and an experienced junior resume.
