The trade dead line shocked and amazed both Washington Capitals' and Montreal Canadiens' fans.
No one, except for in-depth sports analysts, was expecting Cristobal Huet to be moved to a different team when the Canadiens were so close to finishing in a top seed for the playoffs.
Huet served as the Canadiens back stop for the better part of the 2008 regular season, and Bob Gainey made the gutsy decision to trade Huet to the capitals for a second round draft pick, a move that only Gainey could get away with.
Bob Gainey also put a lot of faith and responsibility on Carey Price, the rookie goaltender.
Price played superbly with the Canadian men's world junior team, helping them win gold. Gainey thought Price could do just the same in the NHL playoffs.
So, as of today, it's four games into the Habs and Bruins playoff match-up, and the Canadiens took a strangle hold, leading the series, 3-1, with a huge shut-out win, 1-0.
What?
Oh, I said Price had a shutout.
Yeah, Price has been amazing so far.
Yeah, Carey Price, the rookie.
Cristobal... Huet, who's that?
Oh, that goalie that was sent to the Capitals, I forgot about him.
How's he doing in his series?
Oh, that's too bad, well I wish him the best of luck.
This might be a conversation between a few people who casually follow the play-offs.
Every playoff game, I see Price maturing and learning about the playoff atmosphere and he continues to prove his doubters wrong.
I watched Price play live against the Toronto Maple Leafs and was amazed at how calm and collected he is in his style of play.
He gloved a puck out of the air in a close play so smoothly that it almost seemed like there was nothing to cheer about.
Patrick Roy would probably have thrown his glove high in the air so everyone could see he made the spectacular save.
I don't want to say that Patrick Roy was wrong for show boating after huge saves.
His antics involved the crowd and excited them, it also pumped up his team, needless to say, he did win a few rings after all.
I just think it's rare to find a goalie who can be so relaxed in one of the most electrifying buildings in the league.
I predict a Bell Centre victory tomorrow night for the Canadiens and a second round birth where Price and the Canadiens will face a harder opponent and a tougher challenge.
Carey Price, come on down... you know the rest.
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