Montreal Canadiens may be forced into a goalie change after worrying practice injury
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Sam Montembeault left Canadiens practice with an apparent right leg injury, and Montreal now waits on word before facing Nashville.
Sam Montembeault left Montreal Canadiens practice early on Wednesday, and the mood around the Brossard rink changed fast.
The goalie appeared to hurt his right leg and skated off the ice without putting any weight on it.
RDS reporter Patrick Friolet noted that Montembeault was visibly bothered by that leg after making a save, then headed straight for the locker room.
Video shows him going down while trying to drop into the butterfly, and it appears to have been a non-contact play.
There is no word yet on how serious the injury is, and no official update has come out yet.
Bad timing for Montreal
The Habs are coming off a home opener loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Nashville Predators visit the Bell Centre on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
Montembeault was reportedly in line to get his first start of the season in that game, since Jakub Dobes has handled all three starts so far.
That would have been a big moment for the 29-year-old.
Last season was a rough one, with a 3.43 goals against average and a .872 save percentage, and Dobes ended up taking over the net down the stretch.
What it means for the crease
If Montembeault has to miss time, Dobes could be asked to carry a heavier workload early on.
That is exactly what Montreal wanted to avoid, especially with a team that hasn't found its rhythm yet.
Reports point to Jacob Fowler as the most likely call-up from Laval if the Canadiens need another goalie.
Fowler is coming off a strong weekend with the Rocket.
For now, all eyes are on the update that should come before puck drop on Thursday.
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