The Montreal Canadiens find themselves at a pivotal crossroads as they prepare for their upcoming clash against the Washington Capitals. With the recent injury to starting goaltender Samuel Montembeault, speculation has been swirling around the team’s plans for the crucial matchup.

Earlier today, head coach Martin St-Louis addressed the media, offering subtle yet significant hints about the direction the Canadiens might take in net. His comments have fueled widespread discussion among fans and analysts, as the team’s goaltending situation remains uncertain on the eve of the game. While St-Louis stopped short of making an official announcement, his remarks suggest a willingness to place trust in rookie Jakub Dobes, whose performances this season have caught the attention of the organization.

As anticipation builds, the Canadiens’ ability to adapt and rally behind their chosen netminder will be put to the test. With playoff implications hanging in the balance, all eyes are on Montreal’s crease, waiting to see which goaltender will get the nod and how the team will respond to this latest challenge.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

We have an update regarding the Montreal Canadiens’ goalie situation following the injury suffered by Samuel Montembeault.

Earlier today, head coach Martin St-Louis held a press conference, and he indeed dropped a major hint about the identity of the starting goalie for the next game against the Capitals (meaning, for tomorrow night’s game).

Without committing too much, St-Louis really spoke like a coach preparing to send his rookie goalie into action.

Martin St-Louis Dropped a Few Hints About Tomorrow’s Plan With Jakub Dobes and Samuel Montembeault

It still needs to be confirmed, of course.

No surprise there, but it really sounds like “Jakub Dobes is getting the start tomorrow.”
– Via Maxime Truman

He also added this:

Martin St. Louis on Jakub Dobes:

“I think he knows what he did this year for us. He came in and had a really great start.

Then he went through a tougher stretch for a young goaltender but finished strong. The last two games he played, when you think about them, we needed those points, and he played and gave us good performances.

We know he’s capable of doing that. And we have to play well enough in front of him to not force him to steal us a game, but we know he can do that, too.

I think he’ll be ready for no matter what, and we’ll try to help him.”

– Via Eric Engels

Obviously, as we’re looking for clues, it’s very telling to hear Martin St-Louis drop lines like “we need to be good in front of him,” when speaking about Jakub Dobes.

It really feels like Dobes will be the starter tomorrow night, unless there’s a surprise or a very sudden and quick improvement in Monty’s condition.

From everything that was said today, it seems clear that Samuel Montembeault’s injury isn’t too serious, but Jakub Dobes will still likely get the start tomorrow (to give Montembeault a little more time to recover).

We will update you as soon as we have official confirmation.