The Montreal Canadiens have not had a backup goaltender that was capable of pushing Carey Price for starts since Jaroslav Halak was traded in June of 2010. They have had some decent backups like Peter Budaj, Alex Auld and Al Montoya. These were veterans that knew their status as Price’s backup and filled in well when they were called upon.
This is an underrated part of a good hockey team. More and more NHL teams are moving away from one started who carries the load by starting 65 or more games in a season and they are relying on their number two options more than ever.