MONTREAL – On a day when fans of the Montreal Canadiens were having their belief collectively tested it was a man of great faith, Peter Budaj, who spoke for a panicky populous.
The spotlight had found the backup goaltender because of Carey Price’s uncertain status for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final and it was pointed out to Budaj that his mangy playoff beard had him looking like one of the apostles.
“Do I have the healing miracles too?” he replied.
Montreal can only wish. We don’t yet know the extent of Price’s injury or if he’ll be fit to start against the New York Rangers on Monday night – the guess here is he won’t – but there is no doubt that the Olympic champion is in need of some healing.
All that Price could manage one day after getting run over by Chris Kreider was five minutes on the practice ice. He made some lateral movements in the crease, had a discussion with goalie coach Stephane Waite and went off. There was nothing encouraging about that brief session or the measured way in which head coach Michel Therrien spoke about his star player afterwards.
“We’ll see tomorrow,” was all Therrien could manage when asked if Price would be available for Game 2. “I can’t tell you that right now.”
OK then. This is what we would call a sizable issue with the Habs down 1-0 to a Rangers team that is cruising along with a world-class goalie of its own. Starting Budaj (or Dustin Tokarski) against Henrik Lundqvist would represent quite a mismatch in the crease.
Therrien insisted that he hadn’t even received all of the pertinent information about Price’s condition by Sunday afternoon and we’ll take him at his word. However, it was interesting to hear the coach and some of his players adjust their views on Kreider’s role in the potentially series-defining incident.
Upon further review, they felt he could have done more to avoid Price. Some referenced another hit the Rangers forward levied on Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury during the second round and one even recalled a play from a year ago when Kreider crashed into Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson.
Ever so gently, they were turning the six-foot-three, 230-pound speedster into the villain. They were building the case against him. And frankly, it’s hard to imagine them even bothering with that kind of talk had Price shown up to the practice rink on Sunday morning feeling fine.
Kreider was clocked travelling 36.2 kilometres per hour when he slammed into the Habs goalie early in the second period of Game 1. He had received some light whacks on his shinpad from Alexei Emelin and Dale Weise while coming in on a breakaway and may have lost his balance trying to get a shot off.
The impact – both figuratively and literally – was colossal. In the eyes of Montreal forward Brandon Prust, it was an “accidental on purpose” act by Kreider.
“He went skates first right into his leg,” said Prust. “We know how to slide, we know how to fall. We’re in the NHL and you’re taught how to fall when you’re five years old. I don’t think he’s a dirty player but he did nothing to slow up or avoid him.”
Therrien had called it accidental after the 7-2 loss, but wanted to rewrite his view of history on Sunday. “Let’s put it this way: [Kreider] didn’t make much effort to avoid that contact,” he said.
Price clutched at his right knee immediately after getting bowled over; the force of the collision also drove his right ankle and heel into the goal post. There was good reason to wonder if it may have aggravated the undisclosed lower-body injury that sidelined him following the Sochi Olympics.
Should Price be unable to start on Monday, Therrien would have to pick between Budaj and Tokarski. Neither is anywhere close to a sure-thing. While Budaj is a long-time NHL goaltender, he has only appeared in seven Stanley Cup playoff games during his career and hasn’t made a start of any kind since April 9. He wants the chance.
“I did everything I could to prepare myself mentally through all this time I haven’t played and through the playoffs when Carey’s been playing great,” said Budaj.
While it would be a bold call, the smart money might actually be on Tokarksi. He’s seven years younger than his counterpart but actually has more playoff experience as a professional after helping the Norfolk Admirals win the 2012 Calder Cup. Tokarski was also excellent in three appearances for the Habs this season – to date the only three that he has ever made at this level.
The choice would be easy if it were up to Rangers coach Alain Vigneault. He would start Price. That’s because he isn’t buying all of the speculation floating around about his injury.
“I’m sure Price is going to be there, so we’re getting ready for him,” said Vigneault.
After attending the funeral service for Martin St. Louis’ mother, France, he didn’t have any interest in offering a detailed counter-point to the Habs assertion that Kreider intentionally crashed into their goaltender. The look on his face, however, provided the first real hint that a little animosity might be creeping its way into this series.
“Today I’m definitely not in the mood to pick a fight with anybody,” said Vigneault. “What’s great about this country is that everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. You don’t have to agree with it, but everybody’s entitled to their opinion.
“I tend to believe in a 2-0 game, [with a] guy going on a breakaway, he’s trying to score.”
It was all setting up for a pretty dramatic Monday in Montreal, which is currently a little woozy after enduring the ups and downs of the post-season roller-coaster. With or without Price, the Habs will have to find a way to rebound from their worst performance of the spring in Game 2.
One thing they vowed not to do is seek retribution for the Kreider collision.
“What’s on the line is too much right now,” said agitator Brendan Gallagher. “We’re playing for a chance to play for the Stanley Cup.”
And they might be forced to do it without their best player. Sacrilege.