Kent Hughes discusses the goaltending situation (for the regular season and the playoffs)

Yesterday, Jakub Dobes found yet another way to win a hockey game.

The more time passes, the clearer it becomes that Samuel Montembeault is on the sidelines to stay. He's getting the Patrik Laine treatment, so to speak.
I wonder if Kirby Dach will also get that treatment if he's able to return to the lineup by the end of the season.

I don't even know if Kirby Dach would have a spot on one of the four lines tonight against the Bruins…
— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) March 17, 2026
Right now, when we wonder which goalie will play in a particular game, we wonder which Jakub/Jacob will play. We don't think about Samuel Montembeault, who is having a very difficult season.

And listening to Kent Hughes, that's not about to change.
We didn't necessarily need the Canadiens' GM to tell Pierre LeBrun (who interviewed the Habs executive for The Athletic) to confirm it, but…
Hughes' comments speak volumes.

“It's a decision made by the coach, with the help of the goaltending coach.
But I fully expect the goaltender who plays to be the one who gives us the best chance to win that particular game.” – Kent Hughes on day-to-day goaltending management

NEW for @TheAthletic,
Kent Hughes on the Canadiens' ups and downs during this playoff push, a quiet trade deadline, and more. My chat with the Habs GM
https://t.co/KqlZeBJUio via @NYTimes
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 18, 2026

I don't know about you, but it doesn't strike me that the Canadiens are about to play Monty, who hasn't even been dressed for a Canadiens game.
I wouldn't be surprised if he's dressed on Saturday the 28th in Nashville, so one of the other two goalies can head to Carolina ahead of time, to avoid a red-eye flight the night before a game on the 29th. But otherwise, when will Montembeault be dressed as a backup?
The reporter also asked Hughes about a potential starting goalie for the playoffs, and the GM confirmed that nothing has been decided. It's a game-by-game situation, in fact.
But once again, this doesn't look like a huge vote of confidence in Monty.

In a nutshell– What a game.

Venezuela won the World Baseball Classic. https://t.co/SKjTlDxx7n
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) March 18, 2026
— Josh Anderson is reportedly not injured. [TSLH]
— Wow.

NIC DESLAURIERS VS. MATHIEU OLIVIER CENTER ICE
pic.twitter.com/46pm3Hg9FI— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) March 18, 2026

– No wonder he misses games like these.

David Savard on watching a Bruins vs. Habs game:
“It's different. These are the games that are the most fun; there's a lot of intensity. I miss games like these a bit. But I also miss the routine, the sense of family (with the team). It's fun to watch them; I think they're doing… pic.twitter.com/Q4pAGK1rCU
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) March 18, 2026
— Unbelievable.

Lane Hutson has 69 points pic.twitter.com/ZvwqiEKtwI
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) March 18, 2026