Like most NHL goaltenders taken in the first round of the entry draft, Jonathan Bernier had immediate expectations thrust upon him—especially for a franchise who hasn't really had a good goalie since the turn of the century in Felix Potvin and Roman Cechmanek.
But sometimes these expectations can really take a toll on these goalies. Sometimes when a rookie goalie comes in and wins a few games immense pressure will be placed upon them—pressure they just can't handle.
Exhibit A, Carey Price
The Habs were struggling with goaltending—enter Carey Price. Price came in from the AHL in the '07-'08 season and played outstanding. Outstanding enough to be compared to the next Patrick Roy. No doubt, these comparisons put immense pressure on a rookie goaltender at the tender age of 20.
At first there was really no difference in his game as he led the Canadiens to a surprising first seed in the Eastern Conference. After beating rival Boston in seven games the Habs fell to the Flyers 4-1 in the second round of the playoffs.
Next season and this current season (to an extent) Price has shown a great decrease in his game— ...
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Article written by Derrick Lightfoot
Eight Simple Rules for Developing My Teenage Goalie: A Jonathan Bernier Tale
March 21st, 2010 by Derrick Lightfoot Leave a reply »
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