Samuel Montembeault Masked Habs Poor Play In Win Over Arizona

The Montreal Canadiens' starting goaltender situation hasn't been much of one, Samuel Montembeault put up a solid performance, ending his losing streak.

Montembeault's supporting cast in front of him offered goal support, but otherwise, the game was less than inspiring. Playing against a team struggling mightily, as evidenced by their 12-game losing streak, the Habs played one of their worst games of the season. Time after time, Monty stood tall and kept the puck from crossing the goal line.

The game's first star put the team on his back and carried them to the win. Turning aside 36/38 shots, Montembeault masked the issues and defensive breakdowns. On the Canadiens bobblehead night - Montembeault bobblehead night at that, Montembeault was the best player on the ice.

Montembeault had also been fighting the puck a bit of late, for lack of better terms. He struggled through his last two starts, and needed something to build some confidence from. The win has the fanbase divided, but it is a sign that No. 35 is their man.

The whole team greeted their goalie after the win, as is tradition, but this felt a little more significant. Arizona was within one point of the Habs, with a game in hand. So the importance of a win against the Coyotes for the team was big, especially since it snapped their five-game losing streak.

Aside from Montembeault, Jordan Harris and Joshua Roy played perhaps the best games of their season. Harris was poised and well positioned, with his head up making smooth passes, and his goal showed off his great release. Roy continued to be a stud in the neutral zone, causing turnovers with his smart defensive stick and relentless backchecking.

There hasn't been a game this season where I had flashbacks to Carey Price's brilliance. But Montembeault put on an all-world performance, just like No. 31 did before him. He secured a big two points that weren't deserved, it brought me back to watching Price singlehandedly winning games for the Canadiens.

One game isn't going to affect the Canadiens draft stock to the point where we should stress. But it is good to see Montembeault get back in the win column and for the Habs to secure a win. Martin St. Louis might not be pleased with the way it went down, but a win is a win.

Habs captain Nick Suzuki, one of the lone positives of late, continued his point-producing ways. While it was an empty netter, it happened because of his solid play at both ends of the rink. Something that Suzuki has focused his attention on this year.