La première étoile, the first star... mais oui, it's CAREY PRICE!

He's my boy!

If this keeps up, I'll have to start a column titled "What Did I Say!?" because what I write today seems only to happen tomorrow. I always knew I was ahead of my time. Maybe I should start picking lottery numbers!?

In any case, for my latest "What Did I Say!?" moment, Carey Price was named the NHL's 1st star for the past week, as I had predicted in yesterday's post:

PS: Carey Price will undoubtedly be one of the NHL's three stars this week if not #1, going 3-0 with 1 shutout and 3 goals allowed in 4 games. Nice...

Mnsr. Carey Price won all 3 of his starts this week, allowing just 3 goals and posting a 2-0 shutout over the Vancouver Canucks, with a goals-against average of 1.00 and a .970 save percentage. The Canadiens goaltender improved to 10-5-1 with a 2.18 GAA with a .923 save percentage and 2 shutouts in 16 appearances this season.

Yepper. I have to say, this one is feeling good. For those of you in my hockey circles, you know then that I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS BEEN ON CAREY PRICE'S SIDE, through thick and thin. With all the dissing, booing, then dissing once again to the point where the fan base almost ran him out of town, I have stayed true to the young man. I'm a goalie too, and know what a cruel position it can be when the the puck doesn't bounce your way. I also know what it feels like when a team hangs you out to dry, which is what happened to Price wayyy too many times last season.

Hey, last year was tough. I just want the HABS to win, and so if Jaro Halak was doing the job, I was fine with that. And boy did he play his heart out. I wish him well and he's doing well with St. Louis. And he made Alan Walsh a ton of dough. But that was the best he could play. And we still lost!!!

So I knew the Habs would keep Price. In any case, they needed to sign Plekanec so ultimately Halak was expendable. Price has won at every level, with poise and sportsmenschip. Thank god Bob Gainey et al didn't listen to the fanbase and stuck to their guns. Maybe it will turn out that last year was the best thing that could have happened to Carey. He's come back stronger both mentally and physically.

And the kid's only 23. So in my next "What Did I Say Moment!?" -- that will only be cashed in in about 15 years -- I say Price will be the NHL's next Marty Brodeur. That's right. He will win cups. He will break records. He will be on the Habs for his (I hope) entire career. Don't be surprised if he gets locked up big time for his next contract. Oh, and he will be a top 2 goalie for Canada's Olympic team next time around.

I have always believed, and still believe, that he is our franchise goalie, and will be in nets when the Habs win their next Stanley Cup (yes, he'll be in the Habs nets, fools!).

And I can't believe the chorus of people who still think he's a bad goalie or who think this run is lucky. When a guy dives to make a save when his team is up 5-2 in the 3rd period, you know he means business. Wake up and smell the smoked meat folks. Admit you were wrong. He's da man. He's my man. He's our man. He's Carey Price.

Oh. Also the Pens' Sidney Crosby and the Caps' Alexander Semin were the second and third star. Yawn. We know first-hand that Semin will run and hide in the playoffs.