Montreal Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault had a stellar night against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Quebec-born goaltender recorded his fourth shutout of the season on Tuesday. It’s something that no goaltender in Canadiens history other than Carey Price has done.
Montembeault’s performance this season has been the best of his career. Recording his fourth shutout this season has to be a confidence boost for him. His recent career high of shutouts was one, and has not had a shutout in the last two seasons.
Shutouts do not go towards actual stats for goaltenders but they are a great achievement to have. The majority of goaltenders get one or two a season here and there. But to record four this far into the season is a true milestone. For Montembeault this has been a great sign regarding his development.
Montembeault was a part of the Four Nations Tournament for Team Canada, although he saw no ice time. The experience of being a part of the team and learning from the legends on the roster motivated his game. In the two games back from the two-week break, he blocked 47 of the 49 shots on net. Helping his team find a win in either game.
Montembeault was claimed off waivers by the Canadiens in 2021. Since then he has slowly grown each year, playing more games and slowly growing his stats. When he was first starting with the team he played 38 games with a 8-18-6. Today, he has played in 44 games with a record of 20-21-3. This is the first season of his career with the most wins under his belt in a single season.
Montembeault set an NHL record for having 48 saves in a shutout against the Maple Leafs during the season game opener. This was also the second most by a single Canadiens goaltender, behind Jacques Plante’s 53 blocks on a shutout. Outside of the NHL, Montembeault was a part of the 2023 World Championship for Canada helping them take gold.
Seeing as Montembeault has started and played more games for the Canadiens this season out of the three goaltenders. There are areas in which he can continue to grow to only get better. His level of consistency in the net has grown but he can continue to develop that skill. He needs a little more work on his rebounds to limit any chances of the opponents getting further chances.
These areas seem minor but when they are off, they can decide the team’s success in wins and losses. The Canadiens have given him the majority of the workload to work on his confidence and his skills. He has more defensive players in front of him, helping him protect the goal and block shots.
Montembeault is the current top goaltender for the franchise. He has two backup goalies, Cayden Primeau and rookie Jakub Dobes. Dobes has had a great season with the team, playing in nine games with a record of 5-2-1. He recorded his first career shutout during his NHL debut on Dec. 28, 2024. He is the fourth goalie in franchise history to record a shutout during their debut.
Primeau has been with the team throughout his six years in the league. This season he has played in 11 games, starting seven and has a record of 2-3-1. He has been sent to the AHL where he has been excelling and awaiting a potential call-up.
Montembeault has proven that he is motivated to keep his success rolling. His guidance to Dobes will be crucial for the success of the team moving forward. The Canadiens face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, Feb. 27. Montembeault is expected to start at this time. Fans looking to add excitement to the action can check out Bet365 and explore their latest odds on upcoming NHL matchups.
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