Former Canadiens Star Is At It Again

Just over a week ago, former Montreal Canadiens player Alexei Kovalev criticized the organization's prized prospect Ivan Demidov for not getting enough ice time with SKA St. Petersburg. According to the former NHLer, Demidov was accepting his treatment in the KHL too easily and should have found a way to get more ice time from Roman Rotenberg.

Related: Former Canadiens Star Criticizes Demidov

Now, in another interview with RG.org, Kovalev strikes at the heart of the Canadiens' franchise and explains why he believes the New York Rangers' goaltender Igor Shesterkin is better than former Canadiens' great Carey Price.

After trading former captain Jacob Trouba, the Rangers signed their ace goaltender to a massive eight-year contract with $11.5 M cap hit. Up to that point, Price had the biggest contract for a goaltender with a $10.5 M cap hit.

Kovalev, who played seven seasons with the Rangers and won the Stanley Cup with them in 1993-94 says Shesterkin is a better goaltender than Price. For the enigmatic Russian, his countryman reads the game better while the Canadiens' icon was successful because of his size and positioning, but he had to rely and his blueliners more for instance when there were passes from side to side.

The Russian forward adds however that Price was a good goaltender who often carried the Canadiens on his back and for that reason, he thinks he'll quickly find himself in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

This is an interesting take from Kovalev who only played two seasons with Carey Price in Montreal before signing the the Ottawa Senators as a free agent the following off season. The forward also adds that Shesterkin came to America at the right moment, perhaps there's a side dig at Demidov there as the goaltender played three full seasons with SKA St. Pertersburg in the KHL before coming to the NHL as a 25 year-old.

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