Was Mental Reset What Sam Montembeault Needed to Avoid Trade?

With questions surfacing about his future with the team, Sam Montembeault did the smart thing by embracing the idea of a mental reset — and his performance on Tuesday night may have prolonged his stay as a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

Making his first NHL start since Dec. 2, Montembeault delivered his strongest performance in weeks as the Canadiens earned a 3-2 overtime win against the Florida Panthers. He stopped 28 of 30 shots, finishing the night with a .933 save percentage and a 1.94 goals-against average in what was easily his best outing since a November victory in Vegas.

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It was a much-needed response for a goaltender who has struggled this season. Things got so bad that there were trade rumors, and Montembeault accepted a conditioning stint with Laval, using the time to rebuild both his game and his confidence. When he was called back up and asked what he worked on, the goaltender responded, “I had good practices every day. We didn’t try to reinvent the wheel with Marco (Marciano). We looked at some small things and corrected some habits. We did a lot of tracking and work on my hands to try to get better and make quality saves.”

Head coach Martin St. Louis made it clear that the choice to go down and try to make improvements played a role in his getting the start on Tuesday.

“In anything in life, you can make excuses or make progress. You can’t do both,” St. Louis said. “We know what Monty chose — progress. He played two games in Laval to rebuild himself. He was very calm in net.”

Calm was the right word. Even after Sam Reinhart scored to make it 2-0 late, Montembeault didn’t unravel — something that might have happened earlier this season. Instead, he stayed composed, made key saves late, and shut the door in overtime.

“I was having a really good game, so I just wanted to put that behind me,” Montembeault said. “Earlier in the year, I’d think too much after goals. Tonight, I didn’t.”

His teammates noticed. Cole Caufield called it a display of “mental toughness,” while Nick Suzuki said Montembeault “looked like himself,” praising how pucks stuck to him and how poised he appeared.

After Suzuki and Caufield combined to finish the job in overtime, the Canadiens made a beeline for their goaltender. The celebration said it all. Montembeault needed this win — and the Canadiens were just as happy to get it for him.

What Now For Montembeault and the Canadiens?

As for what happens from here, much of that will depend on the way Montembeault plays. The Canadiens needed better goaltending. They might give him a chance to provide it. Should he not, and his consistency remains a concern, questions will linger.

According to somewhat questionable sources, Marty St. Louis was vocal about keeping Montembault with the team as Kent Hughes tries to find a trade partner rather than waiving him. There is still a belief that a trade remains the priority and that a more productive Montembeault only ups the odds he’ll be moved. It increases the number of teams that might be interested.

Can he play so well that the narrative shifts?

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