Canadiens Send a Harsh Message to Starting Goalie Samuel Montembeault After Rough Game Against New York

The Montreal Canadiens have incredibly high hopes coming into this season, and after a post-season run in 2024/25, with their young core leading the way, this is an organization that may be moving towards Stanley Cup contender status.

However, goaltending is something they've still got major question marks over, especially after Samuel Montembeault's last outing against the New York Rangers, one in which he allowed four goals on just 22 shots.

As a result, the team have made a clear statement ahead of their Monday night clash with the Buffalo Sabres, as they have officially named second-year goaltender Jakub Dobes as the starter over Montembeault.

Last season, Dobes had some very impressive performances, and through two appearances this year, he's clearly outplayed Montembeault, posting a .940 save percentage and a 1.46 GAA, but at 24-years of age, the team stuck with the more experienced starter to begin the campaign.

However, this change ahead of a matchup with the red-hot Buffalo Sabres shows that the team aren't 100% locked in on Montembeault as their starter, and if Dobes continues his strong performances, they may turn to him as the full-time starter moving forward.

Ultimately though, Montembeault has been very good for Montreal over a number of years, and it's likely that a few rough starts won't change that, but if Dobes performs well and the veteran's poor play continues, expect this to be a very big story moving forward in Montreal.