I'll be the first to admit I was overreacting to Price's performance against the Senators on Wednesday night. Certainly not in the same way as some of the Bell Center "fans" who were booing and mocking Price every time he made an easy save, but for very different reasons. Deep down I was praying he'd have a shutout and when he let in the first softy I felt that the life had been sucked out of me.
I'm fully aware that these preseason games are meaningless but I'm also very concerned about Price's future with the club. Bob Gainey said it best last year when he spoke about a young goaltender that had been booed out of LA by impatient fans and ended up having a nice career with the Dallas Stars. "Be careful who you boo out of town", Bob warned, "you just might end up playing against them one day".
Price's situation also reminded me of an interview between Oprah Winfrey and the poet Maya Angelou that took place a few years ago:
Oprah: Earlier you were telling me that your life is defined by principles. And one principle you have taught me is that we can't allow ourselves to be "pecked to death by ducks."
Maya: That's true. Some people don't have the nerve to just reach up and grab your throat, so they just take....
Oprah: Little pieces of you—with their rude comments.
The ducks (vultures) are circling up high in the Bell Center rafters, waiting for a chance to swoop down at the first sign of weakness. The situation could quickly become untenable, Hal Gill remarked that it's not just frustrating for Price, but it's affecting the whole team.
I agree (gulp) with Pierre McGuire, management has to take a stand and speak out on behalf of their young tender before Price comes to the conclusion that if you can't beat 'em join 'em. In Anaheim.
