Samuel Montembeault deserves the backup goalie spot

Mathis Therrien
Samuel Montembeault deserves the backup goalie spot
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

Samuel Montembeault has been out of the picture in goal for the Montreal Canadiens for quite some time now, both by the team and by the fans.

Toward the end of last season, Monty was benched by Jacob Fowler, and he wasn't dressed a single time in the playoffs, making it clear that he was no longer part of the team's plans.

All summer long, people expected the Quebec-born goaltender to be traded, but in the end, he showed up for training camp.

We all expected him to be placed on waivers at the end of camp, but now that camp is over, we can safely say that Montembeault is back in the thick of the race for the backup goaltender spot.

In fact, his performances during camp were very impressive, with a huge cherry on top yesterday thanks to his stellar performance with 14 saves against the Ottawa Senators in the final preseason game.

He really looked like the Montembeault of his glory days, which strongly leads us to believe he deserves his spot as Jakub Dobes' backup.

Monty has worked very hard to get back into the team's picture in net, and I sincerely believe he's done enough to start the season as the backup goaltender, ahead of Jacob Fowler.

Fowler didn't do anything wrong during camp, but quite simply, it's much easier to send him to Laval with the Rocket, given that he's still a young 21-year-old goaltender for whom more starting experience won't hurt him at all.

If Montembeault hadn't been solid during camp, Fowler would undoubtedly have kept the backup spot, but now the situation is very different, as Monty has given the Habs the luxury of sending Fowler back to Laval to gain more experience.

In short, by being so dominant last night, Montembeault has given himself every possible chance to start the season in Montreal, and I sincerely believe that's the decision the Canadiens' management will make.

The Quebec native obviously won't have much leeway, with Fowler breathing down his neck, but until further notice, I believe Montembeault has earned his spot and re-established himself in the team's plans—at least in the short term.

He's even managed to win back the hearts of the fans, who were all very impressed and, above all, happy for him.


In Brief

– This is one to watch very closely today.

– Must-read.

– Well done!

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