Oh, bloody.

Hayden Fleury's bleeding on the ice. I'm not sure how, he slid on his back head first into the boards. Did his equipment cut him, or he bit his tongue?

Looks bad, and they say he's had injuries.

lol sabres, imagine not shutting out the canucks...


do they have a 1st line?

damn, almost an epic comeback. that would have been pretty funny

For a team that everyone has been talking about as a surefire contender in the near future, the Devils aren't very good

To make the 2nd line work, they need to take a piece off the 1st line, so, maybe?

Guhle might play tomorrow. Dach still out. There is talk of putting Dach on top line. Probably not right away, but that seems smart to try out. He did well there once upon a time briefly. That would be something if he could fit in there with Slaf playing well on second line.

I see the Leafs won and Matthews is on fire.

Also talk of Laine up there. He was skating today. Personally I prefer Dach. Patrik too slow and he annoys me.

Yeah, he's too slow.

Monty in net later tonight they say. 2 games he has looked good. Fowler only one with good expected goals numbers. The three goalie rotation continues for short term. Habs probably send Fowler down they say. More of a showcase to try to get something for one of other two is the sense I am getting.

But you never know. If one of the vets stinks it up again for a couple of games, might just hand the keys to young Jake.

I feel like Dobes may be the odd one out. They aren't trading Fowler. I mean maybe in a Crosby package or something, but don't think he's going. And Monty is francais, so poor Dobes.

We can't keep up this 3 goalie rotation so something has to give. Just hope we get something back.

Laine fkn sucks. I don't care if he even suits up again much less on the 1st line. Dach is a great shout, I think he would make the first line elite again (it's been meh with Texier and Bolduc).

2nd line, Kap-Slaf-D'god, was only 40.7 GF% when I mentioned them on 12/29, less than 2 weeks later and now up to 45.2%. Improving rapidly and should only get better.

I'm pretty sure it's Fowler and not Monty confirmed for tonight. I'd just cut ties with Monty. He's 5 yrs older than Dobes and 8 older than Fowler and playing at this shitty level still? No thanks.

lozen has Habs #1 in Canadia, but it feels like a house of cards that can come crashing down at any moment. 20th CF%, 18th FF%, 18th Chances For %. Yet somehow they keep winning despite bottom 5 save %.

You would expect them to improve more than other teams due to their youth as well as a few key guys coming back (Laine NOT included), but any slump could see them tumbling in the Atlantic b/c it's so tight.

Ya it's Fowler tonight.

If he does well, Habs gotta move Monty/Dobes. If he has a poor showing maybe they send him back to Laval and delay the decision.

I agree with you that Laine sucks and I'd prefer Monty go rather than Dobes, but I think they're more likely to keep Monty. For the same return, I'd get rid of Monty. I wonder how teams value each. If there's a significant difference in return, I'd trade whichever yields the best.

The Oilers have 7 million in the press box last night and Jarry is not coming back soon How Bowman keeps his job????

Think you got to stick with Monty a little while and see what he's about. Over the last 3 years he's been pretty darn good, expected goals and quality starts pretty high ranking. obviously, his standard metrics are skewed a bit by being bombarded night after night with a young decor. Anything other than ranking him as decent mid starting NHL goalie for last 3 years is probably a bit unfair. I think the numbers argue the other way, so a bit better than that.

He's been horrible this year other than the last two games there's no doubt about it but he did have a little bit of a breakout last year and I think they are just hesitant to give up on a potential asset of an experienced starting goalie. they don't need much from him, there's no pressure to make a deep playoff run. Just get in and be solid, while letting the younger Gs develop.

It's always possible he's lost his mind, he's been meeting with sport psycholgist. Maybe he has calmed down, or it's like the yips...it can return and he's cooked.

trending in the right direction from last season. could be ok if they correctly idenify the fat and cut it off by the trade deadline, and probably find a goalie who doesn't suck

5v5 xg:

1. avs - 59%
2. hurricanes - 55%
3. lightning - 55%
4. mammoth - 54%
5. senators - 54%
10. oilers - 51%
14. flames - 50%
22. canadiens - 49%
23. leafs - 49%
26. jets - 47%
27. canucks - 47%
28. islanders - 46%
29. 'hawks - 45%
30. bruins - 45%
31. sharks - 44%
32. kraken - 43%


is ron francis still running the team in seattle? and if so, why?

Nice win for les boys

Danault 13-2 on the dot. Kap got a goal but the opposite numbers on faceoffs. Anyways, getting Danault for a 2nd is another nice move especially with Evans out.

Texier. Big night.

Doesn't look like Fowler going anywhere stops 28 of 29.

Fowler saving over half a goal above expected per 60, good for top 8. Nice.

Dobes neutral.

Monty letting in 0.6 goals extra per 60 for bottom 8.

Monty will get a few more chances, but patience has to be wearing thin. I think you also have to consider that he's 29 and the Habs have a few stars who are under 22 as well as a nice prospect pool around that age. Even if Monty does work out, the Habs window for competing for a Cup could be very wide and they'd need to find another goalie solution anyway. If his name was Morton instead of Montembeault he'd prob already be out the door.

Had no idea Montembeault was that old. He doesn't make that much, maybe you can dump him on Edmonton

Not a chance Edmonton only takes injury prone or washed up goalies with big contracts

Will see in Winnipeg continues its streak

Glenn Hall passed away his stats of plying 500+ straight games no injuries at a time were they did not wear masks is unbelievable

This is one of the toughest things I ever heard, learning of it just now. By that I mean that's a tough guy to play that many games in a row at goalie without a mask. Amazing. RIP Glenn Hall.

I'm not trying to dismiss his accomplishments or the streak, but it was done when curved sticks weren't a thing (or at least not until the end of his streak). Wearing a mask isn't quite as impressive as it sounds.

Over the last three seasons prior to 2025-26, Samuel Montembeault solidified himself as a legitimate NHL starter by consistently outperforming the defense in front of him. His primary advanced metric, Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx), shows he prevented roughly 57 total goals that statistically should have gone in, ranking him 5th among all NHL goaltenders in cumulative GSAx during that span. In the 2023-24 season alone, he posted an 18.39 GSAx, which was 10th best in the league. Furthermore, his Quality Start (QS) numbers have been elite; he recorded a 70% Quality Start rate in 2023-24—a mark typically reserved for Vezina Trophy contenders—proving he consistently gives his team a chance to win despite facing some of the highest shot volumes in the league.

In the 2024–25 season, Sam Montembeault performed as a top-tier starter, finishing third in the NHL in goals saved above expected (GSAx), trailing only Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck and Anthony Stolarz. While elite goalies like Hellebuyck and Bobrovsky played behind dominant defensive systems, Montembeault maintained a 53.3% quality start rate despite facing a much higher volume of high-danger chances on a rebuilding Montreal team. His ability to steal games—highlighted by a 48-save opening night shutout—proved he was more valuable than his surface stats suggested, ultimately outperforming Bobrovsky in advanced efficiency metrics and earning a spot on Team Canada.

Samuel Montembeault has started 15 games for the Canadiens so far in the 2025–26 season.

Samuel Montembeault won his last two starts.
​Jan 4, 2026 vs. Dallas: Stopped 24 of 27 shots in a 4-3 win.
​Dec 30, 2025 vs. Florida: Stopped 28 of 30 shots in a 3-2 win.
He looked sharp and athletic, specifically stopping 52 of 57 total shots over the two games.
​Shot Quality: He faced high-pressure situations, including an acrobatic stop on a Sam Steel give-and-go and a critical overtime breakaway save on Wyatt Johnston.
​Performance: While he allowed a "soft" wraparound goal early against Dallas, he recovered to make several high-danger saves that preserved Montreal's leads

(All google ai)

Historically, "HuGo" (Hughes and Gorton) have been excellent at identifying value; they claimed Montembeault on waivers and signed him to a team-friendly $3.15 million AAV extension through 2027. They have shown a commitment to his development, recently using a strategic AHL conditioning loan in December 2025 to help him regain confidence during a difficult slump (around an .857 save percentage) rather than panicking.
​However, management has made it clear that their loyalty is to performance, not individuals. With top prospects like Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes pushing for roles, Hughes has stated he won't keep three goalies long-term and that "the goalie who plays the best will play." You can trust their process—they have protected Montembeault's value and given him every chance to succeed—but you should expect them to move on quickly if the "kids" prove they are ready to take the net.