Of course it wasn’t going to be easy for Carey Price to play for the first time in about 10 months, especially in a “best vs. best” format.
He isn’t in denial about facing some turbulence in Canada’s 4-2 exhibition loss to the United States from Friday, either.
“It was a little bit of an adventure at times, but I kind of expected that,” Price said, according to Sportsnet. “It’s not easy to be out for that long and just pick it up right away. I knew there was going to be some work to do, but I’m glad to get that one over with.”
Yes, he probably wasn’t too happy with some of the goals he allowed, like this Patrick Kane tally:
(Kane even said he’d probably want that one back, as NHL.com notes.)
It’s not fair to lay it all on Price - even if that might be a reflex from how much the Montreal Canadiens often expect of him - as he faced a flurry of shots in the first period. Some of that is on the nasty tempo of Friday’s game and the level of competition.
Price has the right perspective on what this was: an opportunity to shake off the rust when the stakes are lower.
“The third period I started to feel good finally,” Price said, via NHL.com. “I wasn’t going in there expecting to play like I was in the middle of November. It was nice to get my feet wet and move on.”
And, hey, it gives people a chance to warm up their jokes as well.