Mental reset works wonders for Canadiens goalie Samuel Montembeault
As the last line of defence, Samuel Montembeault understands the importance of goaltending on a team.
The Canadiens’ netminder is accustomed to being surrounded by a phalanx of media after most practices. And for the first time on Monday, during a season that can best be described as inconsistent, the mood was positive and the questions were generally friendly.
“Obviously, goaltending is probably the most important position in the sport,” Montembeault said after the Canadiens’ 45-minute practice in Brossard. “It’s a lot of pressure here. There have been some tough games, but we’ll keep working and try to be better.
“It (criticism) comes with the job,” he added. “In a big market like this, the expectations were a lot higher this year. Fans expect us to win every game. It’s not going to happen, but we’re trying to do our best, to give the team a chance to win.”
Montembeault is coming off a good game last Friday at Vegas, when he stopped 30 shots in the Canadiens’ 4-1 victory. Montreal was being outshot 10-3 when Zachary Bolduc opened the scoring nearly 15 minutes into the game. Montembeault was peppered with 22 shots through 40 minutes — 11 in each of the first two periods — and almost recorded the team’s first shutout this season. That ended with Mark Stone’s goal at 15:16 of the third period.
Nonetheless, Montembeault’s save percentage was .968 against the Golden Knights.
Now, he’ll attempt to string together impressive back-to-back performances on Tuesday, when the Canadiens entertain the Ottawa Senators (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM). Jakub Dobes, beaten for seven Colorado goals on Saturday, will probably play Wednesday, when the Winnipeg Jets visit the Bell Centre.
Montembeault still has some work to do before his statistics return to his usual standard. In 13 games this season (12 starts), he has only five wins, along with a 3.49 goals-against average and an .864 save percentage. His victory against Vegas was his first since Nov. 8 against Utah. And he hadn’t won on the road since Oct. 11 at Chicago.
“When it started not going well at the beginning of the season, I think I got in my head too much,” Montembeault explained. “I was thinking too much.”
“It was a good game, obviously my best this season,” Samuel Montembeault says of 30-save performance in win over the Golden Knights in Las Vegas on Friday.
Montembeault has been working extensively recently with goaltender coach Eric Raymond. The message to Montembeault was, ‘Don’t think, just push.’ They spent 20 minutes last week working on the mental side of Montembeault’s game, without pucks.
“Especially as a goalie, if you think too much,” Montembeault said. “We’re at our best when we’re not thinking and just playing. If you’re in your head, you’re going to freeze when the shots come. You think he’s going to shoot because you think too much, then he passes and you’re late on the play. You’ve got to play free and play hard.”
Montembeault said he had a good warmup before facing Vegas. And because it was an afternoon game, there was no morning skate. He said he saw the shots during the warmup well and only allowed one goal. Montembeault then stopped a Colton Sissons backhand seconds after the opening faceoff. The Canadiens were outshot 6-1 through 10 minutes and he denied Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl on the game’s first power play.
“It was a good game, obviously my best this season,” Montembeault said. “I’ve got to build from that and get back to the consistency I had last year.”
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis probably needs no convincing and was quick to state Montembeault didn’t display anything against Vegas the coach didn’t already know existed.
“He’s capable of that,” St. Louis said, before quickly adding, “Now he has to find that consistently. I think he has put in the work. I’m not worried. When am I going to feel it’s the time? The season happens so fast. You’ve just got to move on, work on the things. We’re comfortable with our goaltending.”
Tuesday’s game is the start of a stretch that will see the Canadiens play 13 times in 22 days.
Meanwhile, defenceman Jayden Struble, who didn’t play against Colorado (upper-body injury) didn’t practise on Monday and has been listed as day-to-day.
Winger Cole Caufield is the Molson Cup winner for November. He had 13 points in 13 games and has a team-leading 14 goals this season. No other Canadiens player is in double figures.
Tuesday’s game is Ottawa’s seventh consecutive on the road and the team is on a two-game losing streak. Montreal defeated the Senators 4-3 in overtime at the Bell Centre on Nov. 1.
