MONTREAL — Regular, sq., and reassuring.
Absolutely, that was the most effective impression Samuel Montembeault might go away in his first begin with this version of the Montreal Canadiens.
The six-foot-three goaltender stopped all 11 pictures he confronted over the 31:28 he performed earlier than giving method to Connor Hughes towards the New Jersey Devils Tuesday. He made sturdy saves on the most effective possibilities the Canadiens gave up and swallowed pucks on the perimeter pictures they allowed, giving off the air that he was as answerable for his sport at this early juncture as he was all through most of final season.
There was a lot development skilled for Montembeault over the 2023-24 marketing campaign. He earned the starter’s job, then his first long-term contract, and he captured the boldness of his teammates.
Now it’s as much as him to take care of it, and Tuesday’s sport despatched the message he’s ready to.
As he ought to be.
Somewhat over a month from his twenty eighth birthday, Montembeault has stepped into his prime, and the person who mentored him over components of the final three seasons believes he’s able to make the following huge leap in his profession.
Jake Allen, the previous Canadiens goalie who was reverse Montembeault on this 3-0 loss for the Devils, has watched the Becancour, Que., native’s evolution from the clearest vantage level. He is aware of — maybe higher than anybody — what the goaltender is able to and the place he’s headed.
“I feel he ought to be able to take one other step,” Allen mentioned after stopping 12 of 13 pictures he confronted from his former teammates. “He’s evolving because the workforce’s evolving. I really feel like that workforce’s most likely able to take one other step. I wasn’t there the previous couple of days, however I nonetheless have a reasonably good deal with of what’s occurring. I skilled in Brossard (Que.) till July this yr, so I used to be round a whole lot of the blokes, and I feel they’re able to take that step, and I feel that’s the place he’s too. I do know it was his first motion tonight, and he regarded nice.”
It’s how Montembeault must search for the Canadiens to realize their aim of being within the combine for a playoff spot all season lengthy.
Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis feels Montembeault and Cayden Primeau have began sturdy, and he trusts that they’ll stay sturdy.
“I mentioned it [on Monday, after Primeau stopped every shot he faced through half a 5-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers]: I really feel that place gave us some stable performances final yr,” mentioned St. Louis. “Clearly, from what we’ve seen to date, it’s extra of the identical, and that’s what we’re on the lookout for.
“It’s clearly an important place on this league, and we really feel fairly good about it. I feel it’s two younger goalies that they’re looking for their means on this league, they usually deliver some professionalism daily — their work ethic, good angle — and I feel they’re trending in the best route. And the extra expertise they’re going to get, I feel it’s going to be solidifying that place for us. We’ve had some actually good performances at that place.”
And the Canadiens are relying on getting them once more.
Different observations
• One other thought from Allen on Montembeault — one he introduced up utterly on his personal — was this, on the upcoming 4 Nations Faceoff and the race to a job in Canada’s internet:
“It might simply be pre-season, however I feel he’s acquired lots to show, and in a great way,” Allen mentioned. “I feel he ought to be proper up there in consideration for Workforce Canada, not the Montreal Canadiens, and I feel that ought to be a aim for him. Clearly put the CH first, however, on the similar time he ought to try for that.”
Montembeault has already said he’s gunning for a spot, and we see no cause he shouldn’t be.
He put in an MVP efficiency with Canada en path to gold on the 2023 world championships and the battle for a spot within the nation’s crease for the 2025 4 Nations Faceoff is large open.
If Montembeault lands one, that’ll be an enormous accomplishment. To not point out what it’ll imply for his Olympic hopes in 2026.
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• Rather a lot to love about Owen Beck’s sport. Significantly how direct it’s.
He performs north-south, onerous on the forecheck and backcheck, and he at all times tracks by the center of the ice together with his head up.
You can even see Beck has a very good understanding of the stability St. Louis at all times emphasizes — filling the best area on the proper time to outnumber opponents with and with out the puck.
That is one thing that can assist Beck not solely get to the following stage but additionally thrive there.
It received’t take lengthy.
Whereas progress isn’t linear within the improvement of a given participant, Beck’s trajectory has been a comparatively straight line upward since being drafted thirty third total by the Canadiens in 2022. Not simply from a manufacturing standpoint, but additionally from a confidence one.
That confidence has spiked. It’s as obvious now because it was when Beck captured MVP honours eventually spring’s Memorial Cup event. He simply appears so positive of himself.
Beck regarded surefooted with each step he took on Tuesday. He most likely would’ve had a few targets if not for some nice saves by Allen and Nico Daws. And he made sturdy defensive performs all through the night time, together with his final one, which helped Michael Pezzetta rating his second aim of the sport.
• Talking of Pezzetta, he made everybody watching this aggressive camp unfold bear in mind his identify.
Taking a look at Beck, Oliver Kapanen and Luke Tuch, who’re all making sturdy circumstances for NHL time this season, Pezzetta’s timing couldn’t have been higher.
It’s not shocking, both, contemplating he at all times manages to thrive when the warmth will get turned up on him and persons are gaining on his tail.
“I really feel like Pezz involves the world daily to defend his job,” mentioned St. Louis.
On being closely pursued for it, Pezzetta mentioned, “That’s my pleased place.”