Samuel Montembeault is regaining his place

Vincent Larue
Samuel Montembeault is regaining his place
Credit: screenshot

Samuel Montembeault may have returned to the Laval Rocket several days ago, but since his recall, he's been playing like a goalie who clearly got the message.

Against the Dallas Stars, one of the NHL's top clubs this season, the Québécois goaltender delivered a solid performance, helping the Canadiens to a 4-3 overtime win. An important victory… and above all, a revealing one.

Yes, not everything was perfect. The first goal on Mavrik Bourque may have been questionable, and Montembeault would no doubt like to see it again. But after that? He did exactly what you'd expect of an NHL goalie: he held down the fort.

The Stars' other two goals aren't exactly ones a coach is going to hold against him for long, especially considering the context and the pressure exerted by Dallas.

For the rest of the game, Montembeault was very solid. He made several key saves, particularly in the third period, when the Canadiens were under attack. Stops that lifted the bench and shifted the momentum, just what the visiting team needed. And above all, saves that we hadn't always seen from him before.

The moment in the game when Montembeault really made the difference was during overtime, when Wyatt Johnston came alone in front of him and he made the save. In this kind of situation, the Habs goalkeeper has often been beaten in the past. This time, he remained patient, read the play well, and made the save.

The Québécois goalie's stats speak volumes about his improvement. In his last two starts, Montembeault has an efficiency rate of .911, which, let's be honest, hasn't happened very often since the start of the season. Above all, the most important thing is the two wins.

It's no coincidence that the scenario is starting to repeat itself. It was his second start since returning from the Rocket, and for the second game in a row, the Habs won in overtime. Against the Panthers, it was 3-2. Against the Stars, 4-3. Two very high-caliber opponents. Two games in which Samuel Montembeault held his own, especially after giving away a bad goal.

Montembeault is far from stealing games single-handedly, as he did on several occasions last season. But right now, he's giving the Canadiens exactly what they need: a chance to win every night. And for a goalie returning from a stint in Laval, that's already a big step in the right direction.


overtime

– Marie-Philip Poulin gives La Victoire the win in overtime.

– Mason Marchment makes his mark with the Blue Jackets with his 5th goal in seven games.

– Logan Stanley has been suspended one game for his poke to Brady Tkachuk's head.

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