Sam Montembeault Set to Start Saturday, Continues to Exceed Expectations for Canadiens

Sam Montembeault is scheduled to be the starting goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday against Boston. Despite playing behind one of the NHL's worst defenses, Montembeault has consistently exceeded expectations over the past two seasons. In 2023-24, he posted a 16-15-9 record with a 3.14 GAA and .903 save percentage in 41 appearances, ranking 10th best overall with an 18.39 GSAx (goals saved above expected), indicating his strong individual performance. Last year, he had a 16-19-3 record, a 3.42 GAA, and a .901 save percentage in a career-high 40 games. Montembeault has demonstrated enough talent to be an NHL backup and has an open path to the starting job with the Canadiens, potentially serving as a 1A or 1B option. He previously played 38 games for the Canadiens in the 2022-23 season, recording an 8-18-6 record, a 3.77 GAA, and an .891 save percentage, with his role expanding due to injuries to Carey Price and Jake Allen. In 2019-20, he had a 5-5-1 record, a 3.34 GAA, and an .890 save percentage in 14 games for the Panthers, and was slated for a starting role in the minors if Scott Darling won a taxi squad job. Most recently, Montembeault stopped four of six shots in relief on November 14, 2025, and made 21 saves on 25 shots in a loss to Los Angeles on November 12, 2025. He secured a win on November 9, 2025, stopping 25 of 27 shots.