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MONTREAL — Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price and a few of his teammates spent their day off by watching the flick 88 Minutes.
In the recently released thriller, actor Al Pacino plays a Seattle college professor who moonlights as a forensic psychiatrist for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The movie begins with Pacino's character receiving an anonymous telephone call that claims he has 88 minutes to live, unless he can employ his skills to decipher who wants to kill him.
While Price thought the acting could have been stronger, he was quite fond of the film's plot. His appreciation for the storyline was probably because it is similar to the challenge he faces against the Philadelphia Flyers tonight.
Price has been given 60 minutes to keep the Canadiens' playoff hopes alive. His team trails in its second-round playoff series 3-1, but the 20-year-old from Anahim Lake, B.C., was told by head coach Guy Carbonneau after Montreal lost the fourth game of the series on Wednesday that he would receive a second chance against the Flyers at the Bell Centre.
Canadiens rookie goaltender Carey Price will be back in net Saturday against the Flyers. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)
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Price did not play in the previous game after a couple of shaky outings against the Flyers, but Canadiens backup goalie Jaroslav Halak failed to come through in a 4-2 loss.
"It was nice to be able to get a front-row seat," Price said. "But it was tough to watch, especially when you lose. I don't like sitting on the bench. It's not my best attribute."
Price had played every minute of the Canadiens' playoff drive until the third period of the third game, when Carbonneau decided to yank his young goaltender after he yielded three goals on seven shots in the second period to give the Flyers a 3-0 lead. It was Price's fourth loss in six games.
In his first four games of the Stanley Cup playoffs, he was nearly unbeatable. He gave up only five goals and checked in with a .958 save percentage. But in the next six matches, he had a 25-save shutout to eliminate the Boston Bruins in the first-round series finale, but his save percentage was a dismal .831.
Now, Price returns refreshed and confident that he will regain his form.
"It was a tough time because you want to play," Price said. "It was a coach's decision and I wish it worked out better.
"But it was good mentally to get a break. I'm looking forward to getting back in there and starting a win streak."
Price reported that he has broken in a new catching glove. A few of the goals he's given up against the Flyers have been the result of miscues with his glove hand.
"I burned it," Price said asked what he did with the old one.
"It was getting a little flimsy. It's like when you know you need a new pair of shoes, you know when it's time to replace them."
Carbonneau had given Price and the other Canadiens the day off on Thursday to distance themselves from the pressure of the ominous task they face in trying to stave off elimination. Price and some teammates also visited an arcade after the movie.
Back on the ice yesterday, Price felt his old reliable self.
"Every once in a while you need a break," Price said. "I feel better after a couple good days of practice [on Tuesday and yesterday]."
Carbonneau's message to Price after Wednesday's game was to prepare himself to win the fifth, sixth and seventh games.
"Do I really have to say why?" Carbonneau said when asked about his decision to return Price to the net. "He's our guy and he deserves a second chance. He's had some time to cool down and refocus."
Before the Canadiens' first-round series victory, the last time they won a playoff series was against the Boston Bruins in 2004, when they overcame a 3-1 disadvantage. There are eight players left over from that team, including key performers such as Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev and Andrei Markov.
"The fact that some of our guys have been there before helps," Carbonneau said.
