Shades of the Carey Price effect

The Montreal Canadiens may be experiencing some deja vu with their current goaltending tandem.

Samuel Montembeault has been brilliant through his first two starts of the season, surrendering just one goal against the Ottawa Senators. Tim Stutzle fired a perfect wrist shot short side that beat Montembeault, but he brushed it off. Montembeault has been exactly what the team hoped for.

Cayden Primeau drew the first start of his 2024-25 season against the Boston Bruins, who look slightly different. But they are still a formidable foe, so long as they have Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak leading the offence. Then on the back end, they have Charlie McAvoy and a big, bruising defence.

So it was going to be a competitive game, but time and time again when the Habs needed a big save, Primeau didn't appear confident. It brought back memories of when the Habs started Carey Price, and the team played a more confident game, then when a backup is between the pipes, it's a different story.

Primeau made 23 saves on 29 shots, but the confidence from the team in front of him isn't there quite yet, with some losing confidence in the 25-year-old.

Tony Marinaro believes Jakub Dobes outplayed Primeau in camp

Training camp is the ultimate measuring stick and that is where the hardest roster decisions are made, the ones that can spark a team's start. Tony Marinaro, host of The Sick Podcast, argued on a recent episode of La Poche Bleue podcast that Jakub Dobes was better than Primeau at camp.

It's certainly concerning that Primeau, whose game is predicated on a calm, cool demeanour has struggled to stay calm. Routine saves have given him fits and untimely goals have taken the wind out of the teams' sails. It was just one start, but Primeau has had plenty of time to develop and the early signs aren't very promising.

Dobes has been doing his best to prove he is worthy of one day playing between the pipes with the Habs. Though it is only his second professional season, Marinaro believes that he should be given a spot over Primeau. The issue is that if Primeau is waived to go down to the American Hockey League, he could get claimed.

I don't think the club is prepared to do that, but if he is unable to build some confidence and string together a solid stretch of games, it might end up becoming his undoing.