PITTSBURGH - With every mishandled puck, with each shaky save, with each questionable goal allowed, the questions from the outside world began to pile up.
Could Carey Price work off the accrued rust that comes from not having played a competitive hockey contest almost a year?
Is there enough time for him to get his game to a competent level for the beginning of the World Cup of Hockey, which officially kicks off this weekend?
Is it worth the risk for general manager Doug Armstrong and the rest of his management team to put its faith in Price while solid backups like defending Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby and three-time Stanley Cup winner Corey Crawford wait in the wings?