The Montreal Canadiens expect a lot from Carey Price, who makes $10.5 million annually. The struggling goaltender is demanding more from himself, too.
"Lets just cut to the chase, I just didn't play very good tonight," Price told reporters after allowing six goals on only 31 shots during his team's 6-5 loss Thursday to the Buffalo Sabres.
Despite plenty of scoring, the Canadiens weren't able to walk away with two points on Thursday, losing a crucial game in the surprisingly competitive Atlantic Division.
"I'm just not playing as well as I did earlier," Price added. "It's all upstairs, I gotta figure it out."
A breakdown of Price's performance this season shows that Thursday's poor outing wasn't a one-off result for the veteran:
| Save percentage | Games |
|---|---|
| Below .845 | 2 |
| .846 - .890 | 5 |
| .891 - .919 | 2 |
| Above .920 | 3 |
Price's last two appearances have been his worst of the season, as he's turned aside just 52 of 63 shots.
He won't have much time to dwell on Thursday's loss. The Canadiens return to the ice on Saturday to take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
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