After nine games, the Montreal Canadiens have a record of five wins, two losses and two overtime setbacks.
I find it hard to believe that many people would have predicted such a good October… And on that score, we have the goalies to thank.
You have to thank the goalkeepers, because they’ve been excellent since the start of the season. As Simon-Olivier Lorange pointed out in a recent article, the Habs rank first in the NHL for goals scored at 5-on-5 this season…
When you see that Monty’s efficiency rate is .985 and Jake Allen’s is .963 at 5-on-5, you realize just how important they are to the club’s success so far :
Le Canadien | Goaltenders saved the month of October https://t.co/5LsV2eM0qG
– La Presse Sports (@LaPresse_Sports) October 31, 2023
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In the club’s last three games, Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault have been excellent.
They’ve been so good that both deserve to play tomorrow night in Arizona. Yes, even if Cayden Primeau is still with the team and needs to play to improve…
It’s hard for Martin St-Louis to make a decision at a time like this because he wants to please his boys. There’s a reason we keep saying that the ménage à trois has to stop for everyone’s sake, after all.
It’s a problem, but it’s a beautiful problem.
The Canadiens have high expectations of Samuel Montembeault, and right now, Jake Allen’s performance is complicating things a bit. The veteran has been playing like a true number-one goalie since the start of the season, and he deserves a chance to shine even more brightly.
That said, as long as the CH’s two “experienced” goalies continue to perform in succession, the club has a chance of winning. I may not be talking about the playoffs…
But it’s a lot easier for players to play with confidence when they know their goalie has what it takes to stop the puck. And in the end, that’s the most important thing, because that’s what you want from both your goalies.
In Brief
– He deserves it.
Boston’s Charlie McAvoy has been suspended for four games for an Illegal Check to the Head on Florida’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson. https://t.co/15U2cH3yq1
– NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) October 31, 2023
– Whoa!
When the Bruins traded Joe Thornton, the vets demanded GM Mike O’Connell come explain why he made the trade to the locker room.
Safe to say things got pretty heated.
📺: https://t.co/R3stKYNR7t pic.twitter.com/zKTAMKrL8m
– Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) October 31, 2023
– Good point.
Drew Doughty has four goals in eight games:
“You always want to start off hot. I don’t know, there’s something about when you don’t start off hot, you feel like the whole season is going to be a s-t show for you. So, you try really hard to get off on the right foot.”
– Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 31, 2023
– Wow, quite simply.
When Quebec icons meet in Las Vegas…@celinedion 🤝 Habs#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/VUodJPWPDx
– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) October 31, 2023
– Of note:
Adolis García is out of the Rangers’ lineup for Game 4 of the #WorldSeries after leaving Game 3 with left-side tightness. pic.twitter.com/eKT3hhU0Wq
– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 31, 2023
– Oops.
Carlos Alcaraz beaten from the start in Paris!🤯🎾https://t.co/2LwLUcGq6T
– RDS (@RDSca) October 31, 2023