The Montreal Canadiens will have to play the next six weeks without goaltender Carey Price who is sidelined for that time period because of a lower body injury.
According to ESPN, Price initially suffered the injury on Oct. 29 but returned to action on Nov. 20, and in a game against the New York Rangers on Nov. 25, aggravated the injury.
In 12 regular season games played this season, Price has a 10–2–0 record and a 2.06 goals against average (GAA).
Replacing the 28-year-old veteran will be rookie goaltender Mike Condon, who already received the vote of confidence from Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin.
According to reports, Bergevin said they will not be looking for other goalies in Price's absence and will rely on Condon.
Condon has played in 14 regular season games so far, including 13 starts, and is 8–2–3 with a 2.19 GAA.
The 25-year-old goaltender said he is comfortable in playing as a starter and the more he plays, the more he gets familiar and it becomes easier, ESPN reported.
In a report by NHL.com, Bergevin is looking at the injury of Price as a challenge for the Canadiens.
"We'll see what the character of this team is. I believe in our character, and every team in the NHL goes through periods without key players," Bergevin said according to the report.
"Last season we were very lucky, but this year it will be a part of the evaluation of our character as a team. There's no need for us to panic over this," he added.
Despite the injury, it is not all bad news for Montreal as reports stated that Price do not need to undergo surgery and according to Bergevin will just need rest and treatment.
But because of the injury, it is unlikely that Price is playing in their Winter Classic game against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 1, 2016.
