Price on playoffs: 'It's a golden opportunity'

BROSSARD - The Canadiens practiced at the Bell Sports Complex on Sunday.

SHOP: Playoff Lawn Sign
Following the on-ice session, forward Phillip Danault, goaltender Carey Price and interim head coach Dominique Ducharme spoke with reporters via Zoom.
Here are a few highlights from their respective chats:
Danault on the effectiveness of his line with Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher:
The three of us are structured. We also care a lot about the defensive side of the game too. The three of us know that we create offense by being solid defensively. We talk on the ice. We see each other out there. Sometimes, there are players that just click together like that. Everyone on this team is very talented, so it could happen with any trio. It's just that we've been playing together for three years. We see each other every day and we have a chance to practice together every day, so it clicks more.

Danault on Maple Leafs' snipers Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner:
They're two elite players. They're superstars, so it's normal that they pick up points every game or almost every game. They're a lot like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, a two-headed monster. They're the types of players who find each other everywhere on the ice and they get in prime position to score goals. It's tough to counter. When you manage to do it, though, it's very rewarding. It's tough to play against them every night. They're excellent players.

Price, who will be ready for Game 1 against Toronto come Thursday night, on the incident with Oilers forward Alex Chiasson that led to his concussion:
He was going to the front of the net and doing what he needs to do to be an NHL player. I don't hold it against him. I got hit and I knew that, first of all, it wasn't a goal. It happened in the mid-to-late part of the period and I started feeling a little woozy on the ice. I first noticed that there were flashing lights on the ice and it didn't make me feel very good. As I went into the locker room, I knew that I wasn't feeling very good, so the training staff decided that it was a good idea to take me out of the game. I had really bad symptoms for the next two days, pounding headaches. It wasn't a pleasant time, so I'm thankful to be feeling better now.

Price on the chance to participate in the postseason after a grueling regular season schedule:
It's a golden opportunity. We're all excited to play. I know for myself, it's an exciting opportunity to play in the playoffs again for the second straight year. We're looking forward to getting into that first game and trying to build some momentum.

Ducharme on why Price instills confidence in his teammates:
He's calm, he's in control and he's a competitor. The guys know that he's going to rise at the right time, like now. The guys know he's going to be at his best. That's why he's got that impact on the team. It's good to see a guy like that coming back to play.

Ducharme on his players being fired up for the challenge ahead:
We went through some adversity. We had ups and downs. We've talked about the schedule and everything that we've faced. We stuck together and the guys stuck together. There were some hard times and some games that were hard to play and not pretty to watch, but we fought hard to get that ticket and make the most out of it. I feel the guys are really energized, excited and ready to go.