Samuel Montembeault’s charm operation to convince the general manager of Canada to make a place for him for the 4 Nations Showdown could hardly have started better and many are starting to see him in the picture.
Having allowed only one goal on 73 shots in two starts and having blanked the Toronto Maple Leafs during the opening game, the Montreal Canadiens goalie is at the top of his game. It’s a young season, but he’s near the top of most National League statistical categories.
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On the show Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night, former defenseman and analyst Kevin Bieksa had nothing but good things to say about Montembeault. According to him, GM Doug Armstrong should keep an eye on him.
“It’s an excellent start to the season for Samuel Montembeault. We are already thinking about the 4 Nations Tournament in Canada, they need a goalkeeper. If he can be successful in a Canadian market in Montreal where there is a ton of attention and pressure, he has to be your favorite to be the starter,” Bieksa explained.
For several months, Armstrong’s favorites have seemed to be Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill and Stuart Skinner, but circumstances could work against them.
Hill, for example, could suffer from the arrival of Ilya Samsonov to the Vegas Golden Knights. Skinner shot himself in the foot with a very bad opening game for the Edmonton Oilers.
In this race for a position, we must also not forget veterans Cam Talbot and Darcy Kuemper, Utah goaltender Connor Ingram and even young Devon Levi with the Buffalo Sabres.
Montembeault has experience with Canada since he won the gold medal at the 2023 World Championship. Between now and the 4 Nations Showdown in February, he will have to stay the course.
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