- May 21, 2026
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The Montreal Canadiens will have to go without backup goalie Samuel Montembeault for about two weeks after the veteran suffered a lower-body injury during a team practice earlier this week.
The update comes on the heels of Montreal recalling promising young goalie Jacob Fowler to serve as the backup to starter Jakub Dobes. Fowler got the nod between the pipes on Thursday night, and he struggled, stopping just 15 of the 18 shots he faced as the Nashville Predators went on to pick up a 5-2 victory over the Habs.
Montembeault is coming off the worst season of his career, as the 2025-26 campaign saw him go 10-8-4 in his 25 appearances to go with a .872 save percentage and 3.43 goals against average. The trio of Montembeault, Fowler and Dobes struggled throughout the early portion of last season before Dobes took the starting job and ran with it late in the regular season and into Montreal’s run to the Eastern Conference Final in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In the early going of the new season, it appears that pattern may be repeating. The Canadiens have surrendered at least five goals in three consecutive games, all losses, to follow up an impressive 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on opening night.
Dobes had the net for each of the four games prior to Thursday night’s loss to the Predators, and the 25-year-old Czech is sporting a .857 SV% and 4.44 GAA.
A two-week timeline would give Montembeault a chance to make his first appearance of the year on either Oct. 20 against the San Jose Sharks or Oct. 23 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
In the mean time, Montreal has two games remaining on a four-game homestand, with the Detroit Red Wings visiting the Bell Centre on Saturday night and the Buffalo Sabres visiting next Tuesday.
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The update comes on the heels of Montreal recalling promising young goalie Jacob Fowler to serve as the backup to starter Jakub Dobes. Fowler got the nod between the pipes on Thursday night, and he struggled, stopping just 15 of the 18 shots he faced as the Nashville Predators went on to pick up a 5-2 victory over the Habs.
Montembeault is coming off the worst season of his career, as the 2025-26 campaign saw him go 10-8-4 in his 25 appearances to go with a .872 save percentage and 3.43 goals against average. The trio of Montembeault, Fowler and Dobes struggled throughout the early portion of last season before Dobes took the starting job and ran with it late in the regular season and into Montreal’s run to the Eastern Conference Final in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In the early going of the new season, it appears that pattern may be repeating. The Canadiens have surrendered at least five goals in three consecutive games, all losses, to follow up an impressive 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on opening night.
Dobes had the net for each of the four games prior to Thursday night’s loss to the Predators, and the 25-year-old Czech is sporting a .857 SV% and 4.44 GAA.
A two-week timeline would give Montembeault a chance to make his first appearance of the year on either Oct. 20 against the San Jose Sharks or Oct. 23 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
In the mean time, Montreal has two games remaining on a four-game homestand, with the Detroit Red Wings visiting the Bell Centre on Saturday night and the Buffalo Sabres visiting next Tuesday.
Continue reading...