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Martin St-Louis sends clear message as he lays out plan for Samuel Montembeault
Photo credit: All Montreal Hockey / NHL
Martin St-Louis wants to rebuild Samuel Montembeault's confidence, and the message is crystal clear.
The coach is talking about a simple, straightforward plan, and it starts with giving him starts.
He also stresses the importance of a team that plays up to standard in front of its goaltender. In this context, Montreal's main goal is to get him back into rhythm, one appearance at a time.
Here are his comments:
"You gotta give him the net. You got to make sure that the team plays in front of him to our standards. And slowly, you going to build that back up and confidence going to rise again. That's the plan and he's going to get an opportunity."
- Martin St-Louis
- Martin St-Louis
This season, Montembeault has posted a 5-6-1 record in 15 games. He carries a goals-against average of 3.65 and a save percentage of .857. He is 29 years old and remains an important figure in the goaltending situation.
Martin St-Louis wants to rebuild Samuel Montembeault's confidence, and the message is crystal clear.
Last season, he handled a massive workload. He played 62 games, with a 31-24-7 record. His goals-against average was 2.82 and his save percentage was .902, with four shutouts.
Over his entire NHL career, he has appeared in 221 games. His overall record is 85-90-29, with a 3.24 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. He also has five shutouts, which is not insignificant in the bigger picture.
His contract puts even more of a spotlight on the situation. He is signed for three seasons, worth $9.45 million, with an annual value of $3.15 million.
This is not a small issue.
For now, that plan will not begin in Tampa Bay. St-Louis confirmed that Jacob Fowler will get the start against the Lightning, a decision that underscores the delicate balance the Canadiens are trying to strike between development, performance, and long-term confidence management.
Montembeault's opportunity will come, but Montreal is clearly intent on choosing its moments carefully as it navigates a complex and high-stakes goaltending situation.