Following the intrasquad game, several players met with the media to discuss the upcoming season. During this interview, veteran Jake Allen sent a very clear message to Martin St. Louis and the management of the Montreal Canadiens, stating that he wished to play more games than last year.
However, considering that he still played in 42 games last season (with a record of 15-24-3, an average of 3.55, and a save percentage of 0.891), it would be quite surprising if he could surpass that mark in 2023-2024.
Samuel Montembeault has made tremendous progress over the last 12 months, and many experts already see him as the team's future goalie. The Quebec native may possibly start with an advantage, having been simply exceptional during the World Championship this summer.
However, preseason games will be crucial in determining the team's hierarchy, and Jake Allen seems to confirm that he is ready to do whatever it takes to secure a more significant role this season.
Clearly, we're in for a very captivating internal competition, which will therefore require both goaltenders to excel!
