Montreal Canadiens: Jake Allen Looks Ready To Build on Last Year’s Success

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen knows his role on the Habs roster.

Any time he was asked about playing time or if he thought he should be the starter he always responded that he know he was on the team to ensure Carey Price stayed fresh.

There are no illusions in Allen’s head about whether or not he is in a goaltending battle for the top role.

That isn’t to say he couldn’t handle a bigger role. Allen was great for the Canadiens last season, first in spot duty when Price needed a rest, and later on in a busier role as Price was battling injuries in the second half of the regular season. Allen’s only problem was he couldn’t seem to get much goal support, but he constantly kept the team in low scoring games.

He finished the season with a 2.68 GAA and a .907 SV% but those numbers were better throughout most of the season before he was forced to play far more games in a row than expected.

Allen made his first appearance of the new season last night and though it was preseason, he was in midseason form.

It wasn’t his busiest night of his career, as he played just 30 minutes before yielding the crease to Kevin Poulin. However, Allen was impressive, moving well and reading plays while making tough saves look routine.

In total, Allen faced 15 shots and stopped every one of them. He played his position to perfection and showed why Canadiens fans and players should have full confidence in his ability to play often and keep Carey Price fresh this season.