It's hard to believe the last time Carey Price was on the ice in a game was on Nov. 25, 2015. He played 40 minutes for the Montreal Canadiens that night, leaving the game with a lower-body injury.
Four months later, with Montreal playing out the string, Price is with his teammates on their penultimate road trip and still holding out hope he'll play behind them before the season ends.
Carey Price speaks: No timeline on a return, hopes to play by year-end, still doesn't have full range of motion, goal is to play World Cup.
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) April 1, 2016
Considering Price is openly saying he doesn't have full range of motion, it's difficult to imagine him taking the crease between now and April 9. The Canadiens are in Florida on Saturday, host the Panthers on Tuesday, visit Carolina on Thursday, before ending their season at home next Saturday against Tampa Bay.
"If it happens, great," Price said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "If it doesn't happen, I'll be ready in September regardless. I'm going to keep pushing forward. I'm also trying to get my game back, too. I haven't faced shots in three months."
As for the World Cup, Price was named to Canada's initial 16-man roster, so the pressure's off, in that respect. As the gold-medal winning goalie in Sochi 2014, Price has nothing to prove. He simply wants to play.
Price will likely end the season with a 10-2 record and .924 save percentage, his age 28 season all but taken away from him.
"It's been hard mentally," he added. "This has been the most trying year of my career. I feel more tired now than I do when I play hockey. Watching - I don't know how fans do it to be honest. It's hard to sit and watch and not be able to do anything about it. It's the hardest part about this process."
Price said he's learned a lot by watching, saying his diet and preparation for practices has changed, and he'll take those lessons into next season.
