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Carey Price gets Canada’s offense ‘well-prepared’ for World Cup Final

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 16: Carey Price #31 of Team Canada makes a glove save during practice at the World Cup of Hockey 2016 at Air Canada Centre on September 16, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 16: Carey Price #31 of Team Canada makes a glove save during practice at the World Cup of Hockey 2016 at Air Canada Centre on September 16, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

TORONTO – John Tavares has 207 career NHL goals, so it’s not too often a goaltender gets him frustrated. But seeing Carey Price make saves against your best efforts every day in practice would definitely result in a few whacks of the boards with one’s stick.

“It’s really good for you and also can be a little frustrating,” Tavares said Tuesday of shooting on Price. “He makes some saves look so easy. You feel like you’ve made a really good shot, you got a lot on it, able to catch him off guard or pick the spot you’re hitting and he just swallows it up.”

Despite Price’s frequent denials of good opportunities, there is a benefit, Tavares says.

“As a player, going up against someone like him everyday in these past few weeks certainly makes you a much better shooter and helps you to develop many parts of your game trying to score goals,” he said. “[He’s] just so calm in net, he’s always so poised.”

“Calm” has been a consistent words used to describe Price on and off the ice in his career. No matter the situation – Olympics, Stanley Cup Playoffs, World Cup – the Montreal Canadiens netminder is tough to take off his game.

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Sitting at a podium a day before facing Team Europe in the World Cup of Hockey Final, Price was looking relaxed as Canada aims for its fifth major international hockey tournament title since 2010. He’s helped the team cruise this far by posting a .948 save percentage and a shutout in three starts, and now faces his old Montreal crease mate in Jaroslav Halak.

Price was always the future in Montreal’s net, so when Halak was dealt to St. Louis in 2010 the focus and pressure all transferred to him, something his easy-going personality allowed him to deal with. Please recall when after his first exhibition game in 2010, a 4-2 loss to Boston, he told booing Habs fans to “relax” and “chill out.” How do you take a goalie like that off his game?

Canadian hockey fans haven’t had reason to boo watching Price in goal for Team Canada. He’s helped deliver gold at the 2007 World Junior Championships and 2014 Olympics and is two wins away from a World Cup title.

And while Tavares may get frustrated at times with Price’s ability, the goaltender isn’t letting any goals allowed in practice to mess with his focus.

“Yeah, it’s a fun practice,” Price said with a chuckle. “I was laughing because you can’t get too wound up because most of the guys on this team haven’t made it here by warming up goalies. You can’t get too worried about it.”

Canada will need to solve Halak in two out of three games in order to win the World Cup. Good thing they’ve had plenty of practice against one of the world’s best.

“There’s so many great goalies but I think going up against a guy like Carey makes you very well-prepared just because of how good he is, how talented he is,” said Tavares. “When you’re shooting on a guy like him, and even our other two goalies have accomplished a lot as well, can’t ask for much more when you get to practice on guys like that.”

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!