The Montreal Canadiens had hoped goalie Sam Montembeault would take the next step this season.
Montembeault was the Canadiens’ starting goalie last season, as he led them to the playoffs last season and was even on Canada’s 4 Nations team. However, to begin the 2025-26 NHL season, Montembeault has struggled.
With Montembeault struggling, he said he has started putting in extra work to get back on track.
“I know what I can do and I’ve worked a lot the last four years to grow my game,” Montembeault said, via The Athletic. “Obviously not the best start so far, but we’re going to keep working to get to where we were at.”
Montembeault said the major thing he noticed was he was too small in the net, so he’s been trying to change his stance.
“That’s what we’ve been working on, getting over there and set and try to play bigger,” Montembeault said. “I felt like during games I was shrinking a lot when guys were shooting or when I was trying to find pucks through screens. So I’m trying to work on that, trying to play bigger and work on my stance too — the most simple thing — because I feel like my hands were coming in front a bit.”
Montembeault said he noticed he was too small in practice and has started to make the change. Although it may take some time, Montembeault is confident he will get back to form and help the Canadiens win games.
“I actually looked at myself in the glass the last practice,” he said. “Putting my blocker and my glove more outside and try to be more patient.”
Canadiens Coach Confident in Montembeault
Although Montembeault is off to a slow start, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis is confident in him.
The Canadiens have since relied on Jakub Dobes to be the starting goalie, while Montembeault tries to regain his form.
“If you ask me if I’m worried, no, I’m not worried,” St. Louis said in a scrum. “Sam is a good goalie, he proved it last year. Without Sam, we wouldn’t be here last year. As a player, I’ve had starts like that, and it’s not like I’ve forgotten how to play hockey. Sam is going to be a big part of our success this year.”
St. Louis knows goalies go through streaks, and isn’t too worried about Montembeault struggling all year for the Canadiens.
“I didn’t have a single idea in mind; we have two good goaltenders. Dobes is definitely having a good streak, but Monty is going to have streaks like that, too. We’re well equipped in front of the net,” St. Louis added.
Montembeault is 2-3 with a 3.82 GAA and a .842 SV% to begin the season.
Montreal Focused on Making the Playoffs
The Canadiens made the playoffs last season, and the goal this year was to return and go deeper.
Montreal was eliminated by the Washington Capitals in the first round, and ahead of the season, Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said the goal was to make the playoffs.
“My goal is to make the playoffs,” Suzuki said. “I said that last year and no one really took it that seriously, but I think as a group we really see ourselves there again.”
Montreal is off to a 7-3 start and atop the Atlantic Division.
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