Photo credit: Montreal Hockey Fanatics / NHL
We were treated to a great moment after the game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Florida Panthers, inside the visitors’ locker room.
On Tuesday night, the Canadiens’ locker room delivered a truly perfect little moment. After the 3-2 overtime win against the Florida Panthers, the Habs shared their famous victory video.
And this time, it wasn’t just Suzuki’s OT goal that stole the show. It was the atmosphere, plain and simple, with players who looked genuinely proud of one another (and especially of their goaltender).
Samuel Blais handed the wolf’s head for player of the game to Samuel Montembeault. It didn’t take two seconds before you saw real smiles. Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler, standing just behind, were clearly happy for him.
It’s rare, but you can tell when it’s sincere, and it says so much about them.
A special moment for Samuel Montembeault in the locker room and a genuine reaction from the two other goaltenders
Montembeault was back in the picture.
On Tuesday, he stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced, in his first start in nearly a month. On the season, he carried a 5-6-1 record before that game, with a 3.65 goals-against average and a .857 save percentage.
He needed a big night, and he got it. The best part is that the other goaltenders had no reason to fake it. You see them applauding Montembeault as if it were their own win.
We often talk about the three-goalie situation as a headache. But that clip shows the other side, the one you can’t measure when you’re not actually inside the locker room.
A group that sticks together, even when roles change quickly. It almost feels like the wolf’s head weighs less than the respect around it. And in Montreal, that kind of scene does a lot of good.
See the images in question here:
What a fitting way for the Canadiens to close out the year, with momentum, belief, and a reminder of what this group is building together.
Previously on Montreal Hockey Fanatics