Carey Price may not win Hart Trophy but he is Canadiens MV

The race for the top of the Atlantic Division is as intriguing as any in the NHL this season. One point separates top dog from the and . All three teams share noticeable similarities when looking at the standings, but it is where they are different that is truly intriguing.The Canadiens, in particular, are unlike their fellow division leaders in two distinct ways. The Habs have scored 127 goals this season, 18 fewer than Detroit and 26 fewer than Tampa Bay. Their 2.60 goals-per-game average ranks 22nd in the NHL, while Tampa and Detroit are each in the top 10. For Montreal, the more important number at this point is the 108 goals allowed, which is the fewest in the NHL, 22 fewer than Tampa Bay and 20 fewer than Detroit.What makes that goals-allowed mark particularly impre sive is the fact that Montreal is in the lower third of the NHL with 30.6 shots on goal allowed per game. Their particularly low goals-for total is not surprising when looking at their 27.6 shots on goal per game, which ranks 26th in the NHL. Going further into that, the Habs have a Corsi for percentage of 48.4, showing that they are often on the wrong end of the po se sion battle at five-on-five. The , and all have better marks than the Habs when it comes to Corsi, just for comparisons sake.Those kinds of numbers do not often bode well for a team to contend for a playoff spot, let alone a regular-season division title. Yet the Habs are right in the thick of the race and are currently one of the hottest teams in the entire NHL with 14 wins over their last 17 games. In 15 of those games, the Canadiens have allowed two or fewer goals. Thats going to give most teams a chance every night. The succe s has been remarkable, but the fact that it flies in the face of the Habs difficulty in po se sion shows just how valuable is and has been to the team. The All-Star goaltender may be surpa sing previous Vezina Trophy favorite of the , and his play should be vaulting him into the same Hart Trophy conversation Rinne has been uttered in, in many midseason awards watch lists.No goaltender has won the Hart Trophy since Jose Theodore took home league MVP honors in 2001-02 with a 30-24-10 mark and a .931 save percentage for the Canadiens. Before him, Dominik Hasek won twice in 1997 and 1998 with a save percentage Cesar Cedeno Jersey north of .930 each time. Since Theodore, however, goalies have had a tough time even getting in the conversation for MVP, but Price undoubtedly belongs in it.The current Canadiens netminder is tied with Rinne for the NHLs best save percentage among primary starters with a .931 mark. That comes with Price facing an average of just over 30 shots per start. Where Prices true value lies, however, is in his play at even strength, where his save percentage jumps to .940. That puts him tops in the league among goalies with at least 500 even-strength minutes.Considering just how poor the Habs have been at evens this season, Price being at his best in that situation is a huge benefit and a big reason the team has been able to keep pace with the top teams in their division.There is no player more vital to the Habs succe s this season than Price, but the concerns regarding po se sion will persist when evaluating Montreal as a Stanley Cup contender in the Eastern Conference. Their record at this point suggests that theyd have as good a chance as any team in the East come postseason, but they are going to have to find a way to alleviate some of the pre sure on Price. At this point, the 27-year-old goaltender is on pace to appear in 73 games this season, which is an awfully heavy load to shoulder. He has eclipsed 70 appearances once in his career, when he played in 72 games in 2010-11 while posting a .923 save percentage. On top of the frequent usage, Price is facing more shots than most goaltenders in his situation this season.Fatigue could be a concern, though Price is still at an age where heavy usage may not be as concerning an i sue. Additionally, Price has been getting better as the season has worn on, with his save percentage improving each month of the season.He posted a .937 save percentage in December over 11 games and has a .943 mark in January in eight starts. Perhaps that trend won't continue into the latter portion of the season, but Price is surging, and he's bringing the rest of the Habs with him. Without some changes to either the system or the lineup to improve the po se sion situation, the Habs are going to need Price to continue playing like this. If he stays hot, there is enough speed and skill on the roster for the Habs to stay hot right along with him, but its no guarantee. The grind of the playoffs will bring new challenges and depending on how the Atlantic race ends up, an extremely challenging first-round opponent.If the playoffs started today, the Habs would meet the resurgent Red Wings, but its not out of the realm of po sibility that Montreal could end up with either the Lightning or hated rival in that first-round matchup. As great as Price has been this season to date, his and the Canadiens biggest challenges lie ahead. Reiver Sanmartin Jersey