Montreal Canadiens preserve the win for Samuel Montembeault in Buffalo.
While the Montreal Canadiens played a back-and-forth game with the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. After a late goal from Brendan Gallagher, the team took a 3-2 lead and ended up victorious over the Sabres.
It was a huge win for the Montreal Canadiens. Even though it’s just October, and it’s not that this game had major implications, but it turned into a huge game as the clock ticked on. Habs backup netminder Samuel Montembeault went out and stood on his head.
He was being left out to dry, with Buffalo operating under the assumption that any shot on net was a good shot. Which worked out for the Habs, who used the same strategy to help create some offense on the other end of the ice.
The Sabres finished the game with 45 shots on goal. Montembeault made 43 stops to help the Habs secure a victory and piece together one of his career-best performances. His all-time best was 49 saves, but he was able to get the job done on Thursday.
It was not just shooting from the outside, either. The Habs had to kill off four penalties, going 3-for-4, allowing one power-play goal to the Sabres. Montembeault stood on his head and was making tough saves, helping keep the Sabres from taking the lead.
While the Habs would score and the Sabres found a way to answer the first two times, Montembeault was able to slam the door after the Habs took the lead. As the Habs telecast mentioned, it’s extra motivation for the Habs offense in a game like this.
They feel they owe it to the netminder when he performs as well as he did. The were able to accomplish this and help secure the victory. The Habs got help from Josh Anderson as well. He assisted on the team’s first goal, scored by Brendan Gallagher.
Ultimately the game-sealing goal was first credited to Gallagher, who, it appeared, got a piece of Anderson’s shot and put the Habs ahead. This was eventually changed, and the goal was given to Anderson.
Rookie defenseman Kaiden Guhle continued to excel. He found the back of the net on a gorgeous one-timer to secure a power-play goal and put the Habs ahead in the third period before they ended up tying things at two.
It was a gorgeous play. After a whiffed one-timer a few shifts before, it was good to see him get to a good position and find the twine. There were lots to like from the Habs offensively. Even allowing 43 shots, they found ways to get pucks on the net, finishing with 34 shots on goal in the game.
It’s hard to expect Montembeault to go out and perform as well as he did. I wrote about how the Habs had to limit the opposition earlier this season after they let Jake Allen get peppered in his first two games.
It’s a good win for the Habs to end up on top and secure a victory for Montembeault after his incredible performance. They continue the road trip and head to St. Louis on Saturday.