Grant Fuhr's mindset was that goaltending wasn't about how many saves you made but about whether you allowed more goals than the opposing netminder. Fuhr was content with the old Edmonton Oilers teams to win games 6-5, as the only stat that mattered in his mind was wins. The Montreal Canadiens shared that mindset for Samuel Montembeault, as they didn't know how good he could be but believed he'd do enough to put them in a position to win.
Montembeault didn't share that mindset entering the 2024-25 season. He saw an opportunity to represent the Canadiens on home ice in the Four Nations Faceoff and proved he should be in the running with a 48-save shutout against the Toronto Maple Leafs on opening night. The question for the Habs was whether Montembeault could maintain that form or if it was just a hot night for the goaltender. He answered that question by maintaining his shutout streak into the third period of his second start.
Tim Stutzle spoiled the second consecutive shutout by ripping a wrist shot over Montembeault's shoulder. He failed to record another blank sheet, but his ability to outduel Linus Ullmark should give fans some optimism. If Montembeault starts stealing games for the Canadiens, Nick Suzuki and others may be right about Montreal being playoff contenders this season. From an individual perspective, Montembeault could also wear the red maple leaf at the Bell Centre and TD Garden in February.