Canadiens Fans Not Remotely on Board With Montreal HC’s Plan for Sam Montembeault
The Montreal Canadiens seem to have lost the enviable edge they possessed at the commencement of the season. The Habs bore all signs of a successful rebuild, snagging win after win, ruling over the Atlantic Division. As days have passed and the season progressed, the Canadiens have dipped alarmingly so.
The Habs fell to the Washington Capitals 8-4 at the Bell Centre. Capitals captain, Alex Ovechkin, gathered four points, three goals, and one assist. Ovi marked his 33rd NHL hat trick, helping Washington to surge past Montreal. At the center of it all lies the Canadiens’ exceptionally poor goaltending.
Who Do Montreal Canadiens Fans Blame for the Goalie Situation?
The Canadiens’ goaltending situation has been indefensible. Sam Montembeault couldn’t contain the notorious Capitals as Ovechkin opened the scoring with a power-play goal a minute into the game. Montembeault was pulled after allowing three goals on 10 shots, his struggles with netminding becoming awfully apparent by that point.
Jakub Dobes took over the reins from Montembeault at 3:38 into the second period. The 24-year-old made 20 saves out of 25 shots. Discontent among the fan base was pervasive as the team seemed to lose its grip on the season.
Many fans seemed to believe that Martin St. Louis should have just started Dobes instead of Montembeault. Around the end of October, the 24-year-old goalie was on a roll.
“Dobes is 6-0-0 to start the season, and among goalies who have played at least four games this season, is tied for third in save percentage (.930) and ranks fourth in goals-against average (1.97). He is the first Canadiens goalie to begin a season with a six-game winning streak since Carey Price (started 10-0-0 in 2016-17),” NHL’s fantasy hockey staff wrote in October.
Montembeault 3 GOALS ON 10 SHOTS. This needs to be addressed..Game in Game out
— Bob’s Comfy Couch (@bobs_hubbell) November 21, 2025
“MSL should’ve started the hot goalie instead of trying to restart Montembeault, now we have 2 goalies that have no confidence in themselves and can’t save a puck to save their lives,” shared a Habs fan on X.
Perhaps the outcome for the Canadiens could have been different if they had just decided to build on Dobes’ early-season success. “Amen”, commented another fan, expressing their approval of the sentiment that the team should have relied on Dobes when he was actually performing well.
Stuart Skinner has better numbers than Montembeault!
SKINNER… Let that sink in!#GoHabsGo #Habs pic.twitter.com/9ZKYPcNr3O— Mika (@KostaMika) November 21, 2025
“Sam Montembeault and the Habs allow a goal on the first shot of the game. Again,” ranted a Canadiens fan, seemingly frustrated with Montembeault’s no-show. A social media user agreed that the Canadiens should have stuck to Dobes for goaltending. “This is the way.”
The Canadiens have quickly sunk to the bottom of the standings. As the team prepares to salvage its five-game losing streak, it needs to address the pertinent goaltending situation with utmost urgency.
