By JD Lagrange – Here we are, witnessing the Montreal Canadiens endure yet another disappointing season, marking their third consecutive year inching closer to the NHL basement rather than thrilling their fans with a deep playoff run. This stretch of underwhelming performance follows closely on the heels of their recent journey to the Stanley Cup finals, leaving the men in red, white, and blue to endure another extended offseason. Meanwhile, supporters are once again urged to exercise patience, reassured that brighter days are on the horizon.
A significant factor contributing to this season’s challenges has been the team’s decision to carry three goaltenders until the trade deadline. It wasn’t until Jake Allen was eventually traded to the New Jersey Devils that Samuel Montembeault and, predominantly, Cayden Primeau were afforded more playing time. However, it’s worth delving into how this triad of netminders has fared statistically. Throughout the season, I’ve compiled data to facilitate a deeper analysis of the impact of management’s choices.
| GOALTENDER | GP | RECORD | GAA | Sv% | GFA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Montembeault | 41 | 16-15-9 | 3.14 | .903 | 2.84 |
| Cayden Primeau | 23 | 8-9-4 | 2.99 | .910 | 2.90 |
| Jake Allen | 21 | 6-12-3 | 3.65 | .892 | 2.37 |
In wins
| CATEGORY | MONTEMBEAULT | PRIMEAU | ALLEN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Wins | 16 | 8 | 6 |
| Shots against | 559 | 252 | 210 |
| Shots against AVG | 34.9 | 31.5 | 35.0 |
| Goals against | 39 | 10 | 14 |
| Goals against AVG | 2.44 | 1.25 | 2.33 |
| Saves percentage | .930 | .960 | .933 |
| Goals For AVG | 4.19 | 3.88 | 3.50 |
In regulation losses
| CATEGORY | MONTEMBEAULT | PRIMEAU | ALLEN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Losses | 15 | 9 | 12 |
| Shots against | 451 | 258 | 368 |
| Shots against AVG | 30.1 | 28.7 | 30.7 |
| Goals against | 61 | 38 | 47 |
| Goals against AVG | 4.07 | 4.22 | 3.92 |
| Saves percentage | .865 | .853 | .872 |
| Goals For AVG | 1.93 | 2.50 | 1.75 |
In OT losses
| CATEGORY | MONTEMBEAULT | PRIMEAU | ALLEN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of OTL | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| Shots against | 275 | 152 | 108 |
| Shots against AVG | 30.6 | 38.0 | 36.0 |
| Goals against | 27 | 13 | 13 |
| Goals against AVG | 3.00 | 3.25 | 4.33 |
| Saves percentage | .902 | .914 | .880 |
| Goals For AVG | 2.38 | 3.25 | 3.67 |
Since the March 8th trade deadline
| GOALTENDER | GP | RECORD | GAA | Sv% | SA/60 | GFA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Montembeault | 11 | 3-4-4 | 3.12 | .897 | 30.1 | 2.65 |
| Cayden Primeau | 9 | 3-3-2 | 2.91 | .921 | 36.9 | 3.49 |
It’s evident that Cayden Primeau has borne the brunt of the three-goalie setup, yet since the trade deadline, he’s emerged as the standout performer, surpassing Montembeault in his performance. At just 24 years old, Primeau has not only demonstrated his capability in the NHL but has also showcased his potential to handle a more significant role. On the other hand, Montembeault, at 27, has encountered more challenges post-trade deadline. With the commencement of a new three-year extension next season, it will be intriguing to observe their performances during training camp and how they vie for their share of the workload. Let’s hope that management learns from past mistakes and refrains from repeating the error of maintaining three goaltenders.
One thing I noticed was that they seemed to have better results when they faced more shots in their losses and also in their losses the teams offense was basically non existent. In the overtime losses shots against didn’t correlate the same way though so not sure what that means except maybe an outlier that I can’t account for without more information.