Durin his post-practice press conference, head coach Claude Julien was pleased to be able to confirm that his starter was fully healthy and prepared to battle a Penguins squad that boasts a 26-8-1 record on home ice.
"Carey absolutely wants to play. He wants to do everything he can to finish strong," said Julien, on having Price back at full-strength. "We want to see Carey in our net."
As do his teammates, who were excited to learn that the six-time All-Star was finally good to go again.
"We know what kind of goalie he is. He's an elite goalie. When I got here, he wasn't playing and I saw the difference when he was playing, too. It was fun to watch," mentioned Nicolas Deslauriers. "He's one of the veterans who has been in the organization for a long time and it's fun to see him out there."
That being said, Niemi has been absolutely outstanding in Price's absence - and Julien knows it, as does the rest of the group.
"The guys are very confident when Antti's in goal. He also inspires this team," explained the Canadiens' bench boss. "The difference is that Carey has the pedigree. He won a lot. He's one of the best, if not the best goaltender in the world, so this just helps our situation in goal. Right now, I don't think goaltending is really the problem."
Reflecting on a rough season
In addition to addressing questions regarding Price's return, Julien was also asked if he'd ever experienced similar struggles with another team over the course of his coaching career.
The 2000-01 campaign with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs was the one that came to mind - and in retrospect, it proved to be an important one for Julien going forward.
"We didn't have a big team that year, but I'd say that year is the one that helped me grow the most. In tough times, you learn a lot about yourself and the people around you. Even if the losses were tough for everyone to accept, including our fans, it's a year where I had the chance to become a better coach," explained Julien, whose squad posted just 28 wins that year and failed to make the playoffs. "It gives you the chance to deal with situations that you don't often encounter."