Canadiens takeaways: Montembeault entering prime at right time

MONTREAL — Steady, square, and reassuring.

Surely, that was the best impression Samuel Montembeault could leave in his first start with this edition of the Montreal Canadiens.

The six-foot-three goaltender stopped all 11 shots he faced over the 31:28 he played before giving way to Connor Hughes against the New Jersey Devils Tuesday. He made strong saves on the best chances the Canadiens gave up and swallowed pucks on the perimeter shots they allowed, giving off the air that he was as in control of his game at this early juncture as he was throughout most of last season.

There was so much growth experienced for Montembeault over the 2023-24 campaign. He earned the starter’s job, then his first long-term contract, and he captured the confidence of his teammates.

Now it’s up to him to maintain it, and Tuesday’s game sent the message he’s prepared to.

As he should be.

A little over a month from his 28th birthday, Montembeault has stepped into his prime, and the man who mentored him over parts of the last three seasons believes he’s ready to make the next big leap in his career.

Jake Allen, the former Canadiens goalie who was opposite Montembeault in this 3-0 loss for the Devils, has watched the Becancour, Que., native’s evolution from the clearest vantage point. He knows — perhaps better than anyone — what the goaltender is capable of and where he’s headed.

“I think he should be ready to take another step,” Allen said after stopping 12 of 13 shots he faced from his former teammates. “He’s evolving as the team’s evolving. I feel like that team’s probably ready to take another step. I wasn’t there the last few days, but I still have a pretty good handle of what’s going on. I trained in Brossard (Que.) until July this year, so I was around a lot of the guys, and I think they’re ready to take that step, and I think that’s where he is too. I know it was his first action tonight, and he looked great.”

It's how Montembeault needs to look for the Canadiens to achieve their goal of being in the mix for a playoff spot all season long.

Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis feels Montembeault and Cayden Primeau have started strong, and he trusts that they’ll remain strong.

“I said it [on Monday, after Primeau stopped every shot he faced through half a 5-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers]: I feel that position gave us some solid performances last year,” said St. Louis. “Obviously, from what we’ve seen so far, it’s more of the same, and that’s what we’re looking for.

“It’s obviously a very important position in this league, and we feel pretty good about it. I think it’s two young goalies that they’re trying to find their way in this league, and they bring some professionalism every day — their work ethic, good attitude — and I think they’re trending in the right direction. And the more experience they’re going to get, I think it’s going to be solidifying that position for us. We’ve had some really good performances at that position.”

And the Canadiens are depending on getting them again.

Other observations

• Another thought from Allen on Montembeault — one he brought up completely on his own — was this, on the upcoming Four Nations Faceoff and the race to a job in Canada’s net:

“It may just be pre-season, but I think he’s got a lot to prove, and in a good way,” Allen said. “I think he should be right up there in consideration for Team Canada, not the Montreal Canadiens, and I think that should be a goal for him. Obviously put the CH first, but, at the same time he should strive for that.”

Montembeault has already stated he’s gunning for a spot, and we see no reason he shouldn’t be.

He put in an MVP performance with Canada en route to gold at the 2023 world championships and the battle for a spot in the country’s crease for the 2025 Four Nations Faceoff is wide open.

If Montembeault lands one, that’ll be a big accomplishment. Not to mention what it’ll mean for his Olympic hopes in 2026.

• A lot to like about Owen Beck’s game. Particularly how direct it is.

He plays north-south, hard on the forecheck and backcheck, and he always tracks through the middle of the ice with his head up.

You can also see Beck has a good understanding of the balance St. Louis always emphasizes — filling the right space at the right time to outnumber opponents with and without the puck.

This is something that will help Beck not only get to the next level but also thrive there.

It won’t take long.

While progress is rarely linear in the development of a given player, Beck’s trajectory has been a relatively straight line upward since being drafted 33rd overall by the Canadiens in 2022. Not just from a production standpoint, but also from a confidence one.

That confidence has spiked. It’s as apparent now as it was when Beck captured MVP honours at last spring’s Memorial Cup tournament. He just seems so sure of himself.

Beck looked surefooted with every step he took on Tuesday. He probably would’ve had a couple of goals if not for some great saves by Allen and Nico Daws. And he made strong defensive plays throughout the night, including his last one, which helped Michael Pezzetta score his second goal of the game.

• Speaking of Pezzetta, he made everyone watching this competitive camp unfold remember his name.

Looking at Beck, Oliver Kapanen and Luke Tuch, who are all making strong cases for NHL time this season, Pezzetta’s timing couldn’t have been better.

It’s not surprising, either, considering he always manages to thrive when the heat gets turned up on him and people are gaining on his tail.

“I feel like Pezz comes to the arena every day to defend his job,” said St. Louis.

On being heavily pursued for it, Pezzetta said, “That’s my happy place.”