What the Puck: Fans believe in Sam Montembeault as Habs' No. 1 goalie

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This season, the Montreal Canadiens will go so far as Samuel Montembeault takes them.

There’s a lot of chatter about whether or not the Canadiens will likely be within the combine this yr, which means within the hunt late within the season for a playoff spot, and pundits and followers normally speak about how the success of the staff rests on the shoulders of the core of younger stars, notably captain Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky.

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However I’ve been saying for a while now that a very powerful Hab, the one dude who’ll actually make the distinction, is Monty. It’s true that you simply now not construct your staff across the goalie. That labored within the period of Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur however not at the moment. The CH constructed all the pieces round Carey Worth and effectively you understand how that labored out.

However you continue to want an excellent goalie to go wherever, a reality underlined in the latest playoffs when Connor Hellebuyck was atrocious and the primary issue within the Winnipeg Jets’ loss in 5 video games within the first spherical to the Colorado Avalanche.

So is Monty ok to tug his staff into the playoff dialog? Based mostly on his astonishingly good efficiency on opening night time Wednesday when he shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs, the reply must be a convincing sure. He was spectacular, protecting a number of the most explosive forwards within the league off the scoresheet.

Possibly probably the most eye-catching second for Monty was the glove save with a bit mustard on it through the second interval, stopping Leafs star Auston Matthews in his tracks.

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There was additionally a fairly nifty save once more on Matthews within the dying seconds of the sport.

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18 Simply as spectacular is the stat that it was the second-best efficiency in a shutout ever by a Montreal Canadiens goalie. The one Canadiens goalie who’s accomplished higher was none aside from Jacques Plante, who made 52 saves in a 2-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in 1955.

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However — and it’s a huge however — it’s just one sport. That is Montembeault’s first season as a No. 1 netminder in one of the best hockey league on the planet and although he’s been good over the previous couple of years with the Canadiens, he’s by no means needed to cope with the strain of being The Man. Final season, he needed to cope with an irritating three-goalie rotation for a lot of the season. Now he’s the bona fide No. 1 and particularly after Cayden Primeau’s disastrous outing Thursday in Boston, it’s fairly clear Monty goes to be getting a critical quantity of begins.

Followers at McLean’s Pub Thursday simply earlier than the Habs-Bruins conflict have been typically very upbeat about Montembeault’s possibilities of success this season.

“I wasn’t shocked by Montembeault’s efficiency,” mentioned Alexandre Lapointe, who mentioned he’s blissful so long as the Habs beat the Leafs. “He was on the World Championship two years in the past and he was excellent. Final yr with the ménage à trois, it broke his confidence. He didn’t even play the opening sport final yr. This yr the message is — ‘It’s your web.’ This yr, he’ll be a difference-maker. Individuals underrated him as a result of he was picked up on waivers from Florida, however I feel he has good potential.”

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David Speller and Jeremy Frankfurt have been on the bar deep in dialogue about Habs goalies, previous and current.

“Until Fowler’s prepared, he’s our No. 1,” Frankfurt mentioned.

Jacob Fowler, 19, was picked by the Habs within the third spherical, 69th total, within the 2023 draft and has been getting rave critiques for his work between the pipes for Boston Faculty.

“What could be mentioned?” Speller requested rhetorically. “A 48-save shutout. I’d say Montembeault’s efficiency was fairly rattling good. Make it to the massive present at 27 and get an honest contract. I’m blissful for him.”

Montembeault signed a three-year, $9.45-million contract with the Canadiens final December.

They then began speaking, like many this week, concerning the notion that Montembeault ought to on the very least be on the quick listing to play for Canada within the coming 4 Nations match. In addition they talked of how Montreal’s huge mistake was relying too closely on Worth and never listening to larger points, like the dearth of an A-list or perhaps a B+ first-line centre.

“He’s 27, that’s the identical age Carey Worth was when he received the Hart Trophy,” mentioned Peter, just a bit additional down the bar. “For goalies, it takes longer to get to that subsequent stage. He’s positively able to being the No. 1 for us. And we’ve got one other man coming Jacob Fowler who I feel is finally going to be the starter for this staff. However for now I feel Montembeault can completely take the reins and go along with it.”

And if he does, he’ll be the primary Québécois man to carry down the job because the Canadiens’ No. 1 goaltender since José Théodore 20 years in the past. Fairly cool that.

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