The season has given Montreal reasons to believe. The Canadiens look sharper than they have in recent years, playing faster, cleaner, and more confident hockey. Momentum has been building in stretches, and there’s a sense that growth is finally meeting expectations.

Yet, beneath that progress lies a story still forming. Are their goalies good enough? Everything they’ve built could hinge on what happens in the goal.

Goaltending Concerns Push Montreal Toward an Uncomfortable Parallel

Montreal’s 2025-26 season feels both encouraging and unsettled at the same time. They hold a 13-9-3 record and sit second in the Atlantic Division. The offence looks well-tuned at 3.31 goals per game, with Cole Caufield leading the goal-scoring push and Nick Suzuki driving play. Their power play operates at a 26.4% efficiency, helping swing momentum in close moments and keeping them competitive on most nights.

The challenge comes when that offence cannot outrun its mistakes. They’ve handled strong opponents, beating the Jets, Golden Knights, Mammoth, and Maple Leafs. Those wins show capability and balance. Then come the reminders that consistency isn’t yet guaranteed. Losses to Ottawa, Colorado, and Washington demonstrate that Montreal can be caught off guard defensively. Allowing 3.54 goals per game and a penalty kill at 77.4% reflects that the back end still needs work.

Goaltending remains at the center of that conversation. Sam Montembeault has taken most starts, playing 14 games with a 5-6-1 record. He has shown intense moments, but those moments haven’t always carried from game to game. His 3.61 goals-against average and .861 save percentage reflect that inconsistency. Jakub Dobes has been the steadier option with an 8‑3‑2, 3.22 GAA, .888 SV%. Still, he has not fully claimed the crease. Together, both goalies sit at a .870 save percentage, which leaves the Canadiens competitive but not secure.

That uncertainty has led to outside discussion. NHL insider David Pagnotta reported that goaltending is becoming a concern around the organization, though no direct confirmation has come from within the team.

“The other interesting thing that I started to hear in the last few days, and I don’t have any direct confirmation from anybody within the team, but goaltending is starting to be a bit of a big concern,” Pagnotta reported.

READ MORE: Montreal Canadiens’ Goaltending Sinks to New Low After 5–2 Beatdown by Ottawa Senators

This is where the comparison to Edmonton becomes clearer. The Oilers sit at 11-11-5, with Stuart Skinner carrying the bulk of the workload. His 9-8-3 record and .888 save percentage suggest improvement, but not complete stability. Calvin Pickard’s .847 save percentage and 4.04 goals-against average offer little relief behind him. Edmonton’s overall .876 save percentage looks almost identical to Montreal’s. They are playing well enough to compete but not well enough to feel settled.

Montreal does not appear to be in full crisis, yet its situation bears a resemblance to a path Edmonton has already traveled. Both teams possess offensive strengths and a competitive structure, but they also face the same question in net.