Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Gets hook against Caps
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Montembeault allowed three goals on 10 shots before being replaced by Jakub Dobes early in the second period of Thursday's 8-4 loss to the Capitals.
The first two pucks to get past Montembeault came on Washington power plays, but after he gave up a fairly soft goal to Ethen Frank that made the score 3-1 with less than four minutes elapsed in the second frame, coach Martin St. Louis got out his hook. Montembeault has just one win in his last six outings, going 1-2-1 with a rough 3.78 GAA and .865 save percentage, but Dobes -- who got stuck with the loss Thursday -- has been even worse in November, leaving the Montreal crease in turmoil.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Set to start Thursday
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Montembeault will start Thursday's home game against the Capitals.
Montembeault hasn't been particularly sharp in recent weeks, as he's gone 2-3-1 with a 3.75 GAA and an .858 save percentage over his last seven appearances. However, he'll have a relatively favorable matchup against a Capitals team that is scoring just 2.79 goals per game this year, which is the ninth-worst mark in the league.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Comes up short against Bruins
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Montembeault turned aside 20 shots in Saturday's 3-2 loss to Boston.
The 29-year-old netminder shut the door in the third period to give the Habs a chance at tying the score, but his offense couldn't find an equalizer against Jeremy Swayman. Montembeault is 2-4-1 over his last eight outings with a shaky 3.80 GAA and .853 save percentage, but so far coach Martin St. Louis has stuck with him as Montreal's No. 1 in net rather than giving youngster Jakub Dobes a larger workload.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Called upon in relief Thursday
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Montembeault stopped four of six shots Thursday after replacing Jakub Dobes to begin the third period of a 7-0 loss to the Stars.
Neither netminder got much help from their defense, and both goals that Montembeault allowed came from right on his doorstep, as a Dallas player was allowed to bang home a loose puck. Montembeault has started four of Montreal's last six games, more due to Dobes' struggles than anything else, and over that stretch he's gone 2-1-1 with a 3.38 GAA and .872 save percentage.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Toppled by Kings
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Montembeault turned aside 21 of 25 shots in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to Los Angeles, with the Kings' final goal getting scored into an empty net.
The Habs spotted Montembeault a 1-0 lead late in the first period, but it evaporated quickly in the second as the Kings struck three times in the first six minutes of the frame. The 29-year-old netminder has given up at least four goals in five of his last seven starts, stumbling to a 3.80 GAA and .853 save percentage over that stretch with a 3-3-1 record.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Gets back to winning ways
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Montembeault stopped 25 of 27 shots in Saturday's 6-2 win over Utah.
Montembeault was coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Penguins in which he stopped 38 of 42 shots, but he got back to winning ways with a solid outing against Utah while posting a .926 save percentage -- his highest mark of the season in a single game. This was a step in the right direction, but Montembeault's overall numbers remain subpar. Through eight appearances, the 29-year-old has gone 4-3-1 with a 3.46 GAA and an .864 save percentage in 2025-26.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Tending twine Saturday
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Montembeault will start Saturday's home game against Utah, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.
Montembeault is coming off a 38-save effort in a 5-4 shootout loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday. He has a 3-3-1 record this season while allowing 26 goals on 179 shots. Utah ranks ninth in the league with 3.36 goals per game this campaign.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Manages point after queasy start
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Montembeault made 38 saves Tuesday in a 5-4 shootout loss to Philadelphia.
Things looked grim early when he allowed three goals on the first six shots he faced. However, Montembeault found his game and his confidence, and he helped the Habs earn a point. He needed a strong start with Jakub Dobes outperforming him by a wide margin. The two are splitting games. Dobes is 6-0-0 with a 1.97 GAA and a .930 save percentage, while Montembeault is 3-3-1 with a 3.67 GAA and an .855 save percentage.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Set to start Tuesday
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Montembeault is expected to be between the pipes at home versus the Flyers on Tuesday, Stu Cowan of The Montreal Gazette reports.
Montembeault has given up three or more goals in all but one of his six appearances this year. Those struggles, the 29-year-old netminder is sporting a career-worst .839 save percentage, have opened the door for Jakub Dobes to steal some extra starts. Still, Montembeault remains the No. 1 option for the Habs for the time being, though he could end up in a split share if he continues to underwhelm.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Subpar showing Saturday
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Montembeault stopped 18 of 22 shots in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Rangers.
Montembeault has endured a rough start to the season and delivered another woeful showing in this contest. He's given up exactly four goals in his last two starts, but perhaps even more worrisome is that he's posted a save percentage below the .900 mark in three of his four starts to date. Through four contests, the 28-year-old netminder has gone 2-2-0 with a 3.26 GAA and a disappointing .857 save percentage.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Defending crease Saturday
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Montembeault will be between the pipes for Saturday's home matchup against the Rangers, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.
Montembeault stopped 18 shots in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime win over Seattle. He has a 2-1-0 record this season while making 60 saves on 69 shots. Despite plenty of chances, it's been a struggle for the Rangers to score early in the 2025-26 campaign. The team has lit the lamp only 11 times through six outings.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Hangs on for OT win
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Montembeault stopped 18 shots in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime win over the Kraken.
Neither goalie was particularly busy -- even with an extra period, the final shot tally was 22-22 -- but Montembeault did just enough to earn his second win in three starts. The Habs' defense has done a good job so far of keeping the 28-year-old netminder from being too busy, blocking 23 shots Tuesday, and while Montembeault's .870 save percentage to begin the campaign is shaky, it's a trend that bodes well for the future.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Starting in Chicago
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Montembeault will be between the pipes for Saturday's road matchup against the Blackhawks, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.
Before the Maple Leafs added two empty-netters, Montembeault permitted three goals on 25 shots in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to Toronto. During the 2024-25 regular season, the 28-year-old netminder posted a record of 0-1-1 versus Chicago while allowing seven goals on 51 shots.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Tending twine Wednesday
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Montembeault will guard the cage on the road against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports.
Montembeault set new personal bests in games played (62), wins (31) and shutouts (four) last season, cementing himself as the No. 1 option in Montreal. With the Habs kicking off the 2025-26 campaign with a back-to-back, Jakub Dobes is scheduled to be between the pipes on the road versus the Red Wings on Thursday.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Starting against Sens
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Montembeault will patrol the crease at home in Saturday's preseason finale versus Ottawa, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.
Montembeault will get the last tune-up before Opening Night against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, a game that the 28-year-old netminder also figures to get the starting nod. After appearing in 62 regular-season tilts last year, the Quebec native should see a similar workload in 2025-26 and will no doubt be hoping to once again eclipse the 30-win threshold.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Starting Thursday
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Montembeault will defend the home crease in preseason action Thursday versus Toronto, Stu Cowan of The Montreal Gazette reports.
Montembeault drew the start in Monday's preseason opener against the Penguins, and he'll defend the crease again Thursday. Montembeault is slated to return as the Canadiens' No. 1 goaltender this season after posting a 31-24-7 record with a 2.82 GAA and a .901 save percentage across 62 regular-season appearances in 2024-25.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Facing Pens in preseason
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Montembeault will be between the pipes at home versus the Penguins in Monday's preseason game, Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette reports.
Montembeault heads into the 2025-26 campaign once again as the clear No. 1 for the Canadiens, even as the backup situation remains a little murky. In his 62 regular-season appearances last year, the 28-year-old backstop set new personal bests in wins (31), shutouts (four) and GAA (2.82). Looking ahead, Montembeault should once again feature in 60-plus contests, which will give him strong fantasy upside.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Skates in Thursday's practice
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Montembeault (groin) practiced in Group A in Thursday's on-ice session to open the Canadiens' training camp.
Montembeault sustained a groin tear in April that cost him the last two games of the Canadiens' playoff run. The 28-year-old netminder was with the group that didn't scrimmage Thursday, but he should get a look in a game-like situation Friday. Montembeault is projected to be Montreal's No. 1 goalie in 2025-26 and should see ample playing time after making 62 regular-season appearances last year.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Unavailable for Game 5
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Montembeault (lower body) won't be available for Wednesday's Game 5 on the road against Washington, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports.
Montembeault sustained a lower-body injury in Game 3, and he'll be unavailable for a second consecutive matchup Wednesday. Jakub Dobes has been named Montreal's starter for Wednesday's game, while Montembeault isn't with the team in Washington, so Cayden Primeau will dress as the No. 2 netminder.
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Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Still being evaluated
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Montembeault (lower body) is still being evaluated ahead of Game 4 against Washington on Sunday, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports.
After leaving Friday's 6-3 win over the Capitals in the second period, Montembeault's availability for Sunday's home matchup in Game 4 is unclear. Jakub Dobes won Game 3 in relief, stopping seven of eight shots, and could get his first NHL playoff start if Montembeault is unavailable for Sunday's game. Montreal could recall Cayden Primeau from AHL Laval before Game 4 as insurance.
