Montembeault: With Dach, the Habs could have won 3-4 more games

The Canadiens finished last season with a record of 30 wins, 36 losses and 16 overtime setbacks.

Could it have been better?

The answer is yes. Injuries played a role, and the club – more often than not – was inconsistent for 60 minutes.

Samuel Montembeault was on Martin Lemay’s show (BPM Sports) to talk about the last campaign and what lies ahead for him.

The goalkeeper said something that got me thinking: in his opinion, if Kirby Dach hadn’t missed 80 games in 23-24, the club would have gone on to win three or four more.

It’s a reminder of the importance of a guy like Dach in the Habs line-up…

Because his absence hurt the club’s performance last campaign, according to the goalie.

Mike Matheson, who was at La Poche Bleue last night, shared similar comments.

He praised his leadership and said the Habs would have been a lot better with Dach on the ice.

That said, the Habs would have scored more points this season with Dach in the line-up…

But it’s almost impossible to believe that the Montreal club would have had the opportunity to make the playoffs.

After all, the Habs finished the season 15 points out of a playoff spot.

That’s still a lot.

On the other hand, it’s a shame in the sense that Dach really looked like he was ready to break out. He’d started the season well, and in the team’s first two games of 23-24, he was often the best player on the ice.

I’m looking forward to seeing him in action next year, though, as he recovers from his injury.

It’s also interesting to note that Monty believes he can scramble for the Four Nations Cup… even though he turned down Rick Nash’s offer for the last World Championship.

In the Quebecer’s eyes, the possibility of seeing him take part in the event with Canada is real, and he knows what he has to do to make it happen.

That’s also why he told Martin Lemay that this is one of the most important summers of his career.

Overtime

– Duncan Keith had kind words for Evan Bouchard.

“I loved playing with Evan. He made lots of plays, and now his role has shifted a bit with him playing way more with McDavid and Draisaitl and it allows him to use his offensive instincts more. Defensively, he was always smart with a good stick, and his progression and…

– Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) June 13, 2024

– It’s that time of year again.

USA Hockey began sending out invites to players invited to the World Junior Summer Showcase today. It runs from July 26 to August 3 this year, with Canada returning to the event.

– Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) June 13, 2024