Photo credit: All Montreal Hockey / NHL
Things have been heating up around the Canadiens’ crease for a little while now, and José Théodore has just added a good dose of fuel to the fire.
The former Canadiens goaltender did not mince his words when talking about the management of the goalies, especially Samuel Montembeault. Théodore explained that he did not see such a big discomfort coming. He said:
“But I didn’t expect it to get to that point, like at some point, you know, you have a goaltender who cried after a game and then the next game, instead of bouncing back, he was taken out.” – Théodore
According to him, Montembeault had the perfect opportunity to take back the net and bring a bit of fresh air. But you can sense that he really sees a slippery slope for a goalie trying to find stability.
“It’s always easier to play when the other goalie is struggling, because you feel less pressure, but Monty wasn’t able to take advantage of it and that worries me a bit.” – José added
José Théodore’s words about Samuel Montembeault
For him, Dobes’ poor play should have pushed Montembeault to reclaim his number-one spot without hesitation, and the exact opposite happened.
He also brought up a powerful memory from his 2001-2002 season.
“When I had my concussion… it was Mathieu Garon who was the backup and who was playing. I wanted us to win but, you know, if he gets too hot, now we’ve created a controversy and I didn’t want that.” – José Théodore
This segment shows how quickly the internal dynamic can change in the crease, especially in Montreal.
In my opinion, it’s a clear message about the urgency of getting Montembeault going again, because the Canadiens need him back in action.
As announced earlier, Montembeault will start against the Golden Knights tomorrow in Vegas, while Dobes will get the nod against the Avalanche on Saturday.
Previously on All Montreal Hockey