If everyone is healthy, there are two theories that explain his recall.
Since the Canadiens don’t have any healthy extras, it’s safe to assume that Kent Hughes wanted his club to have a player for the whirlwind trip to New Jersey for tomorrow’s game.
If there’s ever an injury or a virus, the Habs have an insurance policy.
Alternatively, it could be that the coach wants Arber Xhekaj out for one game and needs one more defenseman. But I don’t think that’s it.
Yesterday, Samuel Montembeault gave away three early goals. He was then ridiculed by the Montreal crowd before recovering in fine style.
But, true to form, he squandered a late lead. In the end, the Habs lost.
We agree that the blame for the defeat does not lie solely on the shoulders of the Québécois, and we agree that there are positives to take from Samuel Montembeault’s game.
But his start to the game remains an important part of what sank the club. In a league of results, that’s deadly. And when you consider the goalkeeper’s start to the season, it’s nothing to reassure people.
Jakub Dobes, meanwhile, was named October’s third star because he avoided such sequences of play. And he hasn’t played yet in November.
It should be him tomorrow, though.
And in reality, when the European sees that Martin St-Louis sang the praises of Monty’s second period a few hours after seeing him say he wanted the Québécois to take charge of a #1, Dobes must be capering.
Martin St-Louis:
“I think you have to have a goalie who can take the bulk of the workload, and I think that goalie is Montembeault. We’re working in that direction right now.”@TVASports
I understand that St-Louis has no advantage in planting Montembeault in front of the media (he has no advantage in doing so) and that he wants to limit discussions about discussions about the sacrosanct goaltending controversy, but…
But Dobes must be capering. Because he’s performing for a club that’s back to wanting to win every game.
Yes, St-Louis has recognized that it takes two quality goalies to win in today’s NHL, and yes, he’s probably confident when he sends Dobes in front of the net.
But Dobes needs to ask himself what more he needs to do to play.
The starting goalie debate persists… @Lappy14 says Montembeault, Pierre says Dobes
Monty was almost one of his team’s best yesterday, thanks to his mid-game performance.
But in between a lot of bad performances, we have to point out that a few guys stood up during the game. Kirby Dach is a name that springs to mind, thanks to his two goals.
Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky and company also had their moments when it mattered. But once again, the player who really stands out is Ivan Demidov. It’s a good thing he’s here.
On the powerplay, he found a superb passing line to set up Nick Suzuki’s goal. The usual.
But what’s new is that he also trusted his powerplay shooting. We know he’s got talent, and he showed it with a heavy shot.
The other teams must be thinking that taking a penalty against the Canadiens isn’t exactly a good idea, since it can quickly become a goal.
Meanwhile, Philly’s Matvei Michkov continues to get a lot of grief. He’s been invisible since the start of the campaign… and yesterday, he didn’t exactly stand out.
overtime
– Good point.
I’d love to hear the conversation that #Habs Arber Xhekaj and Flyers’ Nicolas Deslauriers are having in penalty box. I believe there’s a mutual respect there.
Kyle Dubas on the Penguins, Crosby, Olympics and what he wouldn’t change about his Maple Leafs exit. My sit down interview with the Pittsburgh GM for@TheAthletichttps://t.co/xsFdJ5MlqC
Did the Canadiens play their best game of the season? Of course not. On the contrary, it was probably the Habs’ worst game of the season.
The fact that the Canadiens took just 20 shots on net, compared with 42 by the Flyers, speaks volumes. After 20 minutes, the Habs had just two shots on goal.
The club managed to get a point it didn’t deserve, and the Canadiens will take it. But there are things we can do to prevent this from happening again.
After all, a team can’t always get back on track.
“It was out of character,” #Habs head coach Martin St. Louis says about 5-4 OT loss to Flyers. “It’s the first game this year I felt we were out of character. Listen, it’s an 82-game schedule. There’s going to be games like that. But we got to bounce forward the next game.”
Obviously, the name on everyone’s lips this morning is Samuel Montembeault. The goalie, who hasn’t exactly had a sparkling start to the season, had a game of two halves.
It began with three quick goals from the Flyers.
Did the indiscipline of the Habs players play a role? Of course it did: the goals weren’t all the goalie’s fault. After all, two goals were scored on the powerplay, including one when the Flyers had two extra men on the ice.
The crowd even applauded the Québécois ironically. This prompted Zachary Bolduc to say publicly, after the game, that he didn’t like to hear the crowd jeering his goalie.
“I didn’t like hearing the fans applaud Samuel in derision.”
But then Montembeault stepped up and did what a #1 goalie needs to do from time to time: make big saves to help his team. He made 31 straight saves as his teammates scored four unanswered goals to take the lead.
Some of his saves were important, saving teammates (including Lane Hutson) throughout the game. A good goalkeeper has to be able to do that… and he hadn’t at the start of the game.
But in the third period, Monty was unable to protect his team’s lead, making it 4-4 and sending the game into overtime.
In fact, Guillaume Villemaire reported that the goaltender had obtained 12 leads this season – excluding overtime – and had scored no less than 11 of them.
montembeault’s 11 equalizing goals this season (SOmmet in NHL)
He lost 11 of the 12 leads the team gave him (Excluding overtime)
The only one he didn’t lose was the goal in Chicago with 15 seconds left
The only lead the goalie hasn’t lost this season was when the Canadiens took the lead with 15 seconds left in last month’s game against the Hawks.
Is the confidence that the goalkeeper was looking for during the game still there? It’s hard to say, given the final result. Because in the end, despite a good run, he didn’t solve his problems.
The main man, without whom the Habs wouldn’t get a point if he didn’t get up in the middle of the game, knows he has things to work on. And he doesn’t blame the crowd for applauding him.
The Canadiens didn’t deserve a point yesterday… but they got one anyway. And no one in Montreal is going to complain, because it’s important to get points.
Right now, the Habs are at the top of the East. Will that still be the case after tomorrow’s game in New Jersey?
The Canadiens couldn’t beat the Flyers last night.
But… there were also nine other games presented in the four corners of the National League.
Let’s see what happened:
Seven games were decided by a one-goal margin Tuesday, bringing this season’s total to 105 through 212 games – the only other campaigns in NHL history with as many at this stage were 2008-09 (110), 2014-15 (109) and 2013-14 (106).#NHLStats:https://t.co/5SEaoRh2HUpic.twitter.com/xTMPS7vUSw
1: Three goals and an assist for Cutter Gauthier (and the Flyers must be biting their fingers)
The Flyers selected Cutter Gauthier with the 5th overall pick in the 2022 draft.
He never played a single game in Philly… because he asked to be traded before even starting his NHL career.
And clearly, the Flyers must be biting their fingers a little. Especially when you see him score three goals and one assist in a game, as he did yesterday against the Panthers…
Gauthier now has 10 goals so far this season and is tied for the NHL scoring lead with Cole Caufield, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl and Jack Hughes.
He’s off to a great start.
Gauthier’s three goals helped the Ducks crush the Panthers 7-3. Anaheim’s young team is really fun to watch…
2: A fine mark for Drew Doughty
Last night, the Los Angeles Kings visited the Winnipeg Jets, who have been on fire since the start of the campaign.
But the Kings showed no mercy against the Jets: they won 3-0 and Darcy Kuemper recorded his first shutout of the season.
Drew Doughty’s late goal in an empty net was the highlight of the victory.
The goal made him the top scorer for a defenseman in Kings history:
DREW DOUGHTY HAS OFFICIALLY SCORED THE MOST GOALS BY A DEFENSEMAN IN LA KINGS HISTORY! pic.twitter.com/x8s9h0ZlUa
Drew Doughty is having a great career. There’s a very good chance he’ll make it into the Hall of Fame when he retires, and that’ll be well deserved.
And things are going well for the Kings, who have picked up at least one point in eight of their last ten games.
3: 300 goals for Mikko Rantanen
Mikko Rantanen (two goals, one assist) and Wyatt Johnston (three assists) took care of business for the Oilers last night, helping the Stars to a 4-3 shootout victory.
In his club’s victory, Rantanen scored his 300th National League goal… and he did it on his bobblehead night in Dallas.
It made for a good time:
NOT ONLY IS IT A GOAL ON HIS OWN BOBBLEHEAD NIGHT, BUT IT’S MIKKO RANTANEN’S 300th CAREER NHL GOAL #TexasHockey (via @DallasStars)
Rantanen became only the fourth Finn in history to reach the 300-goal plateau in the National League. He joins Teemu Selanne, Olli Jokinen and Kari Kurri in that group… and we hear he’s in good company.
The Stars are coming off their seventh win of the season (in 13 games) and have been on a roll lately. It’s going to be hard to stop them when they take their driveway wander…
4: When Brayden Point steals the show from Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon
The Lightning were in Colorado last night to take on the Avalanche.
And basically, when you’re talking about the Avalanche, you know you have to keep an eye on Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. We’re talking about two of the league’s top five players, after all…
But last night, it was Brayden Point who stole the show.
The Lightning’s diminutive forward scored a goal of beauty… even if it was scored in a losing cause.
We’ll be keeping an eye on the Mammoth over the next few days: tonight, the club will be visiting Toronto… and they’ll be at the Bell Centre on Saturday night to take on the Canadiens.
It should be a good game in Montreal on Saturday. Both teams are young, fast… and also seem to be hungry at the moment.
Looking forward to it.
Extension
– Whew.
Leo Carlsson received a 5 minute major and a game misconduct penalty for this hit on Evan Rodrigues pic.twitter.com/KbiPSbla8S
Cole Caufield tries to set up Ivan Demidov for the one timer, can’t shoot it, but he can set up Nick Suzuki to make it 3-2. #Habs climbing their way back into this one. pic.twitter.com/x1WTzMkh56
Another great pass from Ivan Demidov to his captain on the power play.
Next, Samuel Montembeault made his mark on the period after a tough first. Here, after a big check by the captain on Christian Dvorak, he stopped Owen Tippett on a breakaway from point-blank range.
Last year, in addition to the Habs players, we were keeping an eye on prospects David Reinbacher, Michael Hage and Ivan Demidov, in particular.
This season, Demidov is in Montreal, but we’re still keeping an eye on Reinbacher and Hage. A new prospect is now on everyone’s lips: Alex Zharovsky.
The Russian is impressing in the KHL, with 14 points in as many games. Unlike Demidov, he gets playing time and has the confidence of his coach in Russia. He’s not perfect, but he produces. His club’s financial situation also helps him to play a lot.
But Zharovsky is not just a good hockey player. Like Demidov, he’s also a good jack and knows that, to play in Montreal and be successful with the fans, French is important.
Teammate David Brosseau told RDS in an interview that he had already said two words to him in French, because he knew he was from Montreal.
Clearly, this is going to appeal to Habs fans. The Russian has a mentor to help him learn English, and instead of focusing 100% on the language of Shakespeare, he’s making an effort to speak the Québécois’ first language.
Zharovsky is under contract until 2027 and the situation with Demidov is different. The chances of him breaking his contract early are slim. But already, it’s clear that he’s won the hearts of the fans.
With his play on the ice and his personality, I can’t wait to see him with the 93.
Personally, I find Daniel Brière’s work average since he became GM of the Flyers.
At the draft level, he has made some bold decisions, including drafting Jett Luchanko 13th overall in 2024. As for the most recent auction, Porter Martone is a big project and Jack Nesbitt (12th) is a questionable choice.
Trading Cutter Gauthier – although not particularly his fault – was also a trade that affected the Flyers’ rebuild. Across the NHL, his work isn’t universally appreciated, either.
One rebuild that’s going well, however, is the Habs.
And tonight, before the Canadiens-Flyers game, Brière, in the company of Pierre Houde and Marc Denis, admits he likes what he sees of Montreal and hopes his team will be like Montreal in two years’ time. Now, I don’t know if he said that, because he was being interviewed for a network that covers the Habs, but even so, he didn’t need to say that.
The difference between the Flyers’ rebuild and that of the Habs is probably the number of impact players. Unlike the Habs, the Flyers should draft early in the next auction, which will give them a future top player, but otherwise, the difference is obvious among the impact players drafted in the last four years:
2022
Canadiens
Flyers
Juraj Slafkovsky
Cutter Gauthier, now with the Ducks
Lane Hutson
Owen Beck
2023
Canadiens
Flyers
David Reinbacher
Matvei Michkov
Jacob Fowler
Olvier Bonk
2024
Canadiens
Flyers
Ivan Demidov
Jett Luchanko
Michael Hage
2025
Canadiens
Flyers
Alexander Zharovsky
Porter Martone
Jack Nesbitt
There’s quite a difference, then, between the two banks of prospects.
I wouldn’t even go there. The Habs win hands down.
Now, will that stop Philly from “being the Habs” in two years’ time? No. It takes two good drafts and his club will be in the car.
Overtime
– Is it?
“I wasn’t surprised the Canadiens didn’t select Michkov, I was surprised they didn’t select Ryan Leonard, with the information I had at the time.” – Pierre Dorion #LRAML
– Nazem Kadri and Pavel Zacha still linked to the Habs. [Sportsnet]
– Listen now.
INSIDER TRADING..
– 10-game mark looms for promising rookies
– Lowry, Jets motivated to get deal done
– Dubas on Pens’ start/Crosby’s future
– How Caps hope to cover Dubois loss
– Michkov’s slow start
– NHL hopes for record crowd at Jerry World
On the first two goals, however, without having been weak, Monty had a chance to stop the pucks. In any case, he would have made those saves last year…
That’s what I’ve been complaining about Monty since the start of the season: he’s not making the big saves at key moments. He doesn’t change the wind as he did in 2024.
I had the same complaint about Carey Price at one point in his career.
In any case, in front of Canadiens’ bosses, Montembeault’s performance won’t help him break into the Canadian team, unfortunately.
Overtime
The game isn’t over yet, but if Montreal loses, I wonder how much longer Martin St-Louis will rotate Monty instead of playing Jakub Dobes as a number-one goalie.
We can’t abandon Samuel on such a short sample, but the club wants to win and this is no time to experiment.
We know Nick Suzuki has a chance of making the club (especially after his excellent start to the season), but there’s also Samuel Montembeault who will play.
With Team Canada’s thin depth in front of the net, the Québécois, despite his slow start to the season, still has prospects of making the Olympic club. He was there at the Four Nations Tournament and has international experience.
Monty better be good tonight, then.
In addition to Suzuki and Monty, I think Armstrong would like to see Mike Matheson in action. Now, the Québécois isn’t necessarily the favorite to be in the Canadiens lineup in February, but with his start to the season, Armstrong and his group certainly won’t rule him out too soon.
In Philly, Travis Konecny could be a breakthrough, but it’s not certain. Oh, and there’s Flyers coach Rick Tocchet, who will be in Milan in 2026. Unlike his leader, his place is confirmed.
Overtime
– Ouch!
The Penguins have placed goalie Tristan Jarry and forwards Justin Brazeau & Noel Acciari on the IR
#Habs Bogdan Konyushkov scores his first goal of the season on the 26th of October against Avtomobilist. I really like how he corrals that puck with his skate before picking the corner to shoot in. pic.twitter.com/hBxGFU1LuU
https://t.co/RvgvrESGQb
https://t.co/5JK4iRu5Qm
#TexasHockey
: 
https://t.co/MmD65qkhCa
https://t.co/YFOxRxvs0G