New York Islanders present good chance for Cayden Primeau to bounce back

The Montreal Canadiens have ridden Samuel Montembeault since Cayden Primeau's poor regular-season debut. The Habs had back-to-back games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins to begin the season, so they chose to insert Primeau into the lineup after Monteambeault's 48-save shutout against the Leafs. The momentum was going in the Habs' favor to start the season, but Primeau's abysmal effort against the Bruins set them back. Primeau allowed six goals on 29 shots in a winnable game for the Canadiens if they had received some goaltending help.

Primeau was in and out of the Canadiens' lineup for most of his tenure, but Jake Allen's trade last season opened the door for him to be the permanent backup. Primeau answered the call, recording a .910 save percentage and a 2.99 goals-against average. His record of 8-9-2 was acceptable considering the Canadiens were well below .500 and one of the worst teams in the league. Primeau was so good that people wondered if he would steal even more starts from Montembeault this season.

Primeau's debut put any thoughts of him stealing games to rest. Primeau has just one start, while Montembeault has four. Primeau can win back the coaching staff's favor if he can perform well on Saturday night against the New York Islanders. The Islanders have an inconsistent offensive attack, and the Canadiens are starting Primeau, hoping this is one of their off nights.

The Islanders are 1-1-2 to start the season. They have an overtime loss to the Utah Hockey Club where they scored four goals and a 6-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Their other two games were a 3-0 loss to the Dallas Stars and a 1-0 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues. New York had 34 shots in both games where they were shut out, so the question is whether it's poor finishing from their forwards or just a hot run from the goaltenders. Allowing 34 shots on Primeau may not be a winning formula, but the Canadiens have been one of the worst teams in the league at suppressing shots.

Is there a chance that the Canadiens are throwing Primeau to the wolves in this game? They are battling many injuries, with Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, and Juraj Slafkovsky day-to-day. There has been no update on whether they will play, but the defense could look pretty thin if their top pairing misses this game. Montembeault's confidence may already be shaken with the recent barrage of shots thrown at him, so the Habs could be giving him the night off on purpose.