Frustrated Samuel Montembeault Smashes Stick After Being Pulled in Game Against Seattle Kraken
Montreal Canadiens starting goaltender Sam Montembeault had a rough night tonight, displaying extreme emotion after he was pulled from the game.
Sam Montembeault got off to a great start this season, starting in the Canadiens' first game of the season, he posted a career-best 48-save shutout against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since then though, things have largely gone downhill. The young netminder has now been pulled in back-to-back starts after he gave up five goals on just ten shots against the Seattle Kraken tonight. As he was heading to the locker room, he showed his frustration, slamming his stick against the wall of the tunnel.
It appeared as though head coach Martin St. Louis was going to have a little bit of patience with Montembeault tonight after his rough start last time against the New York Rangers. Despite giving up 4 goals on his first 8 shots for just a .500 save percentage, St. Louis decided to keep him in the game, a decision St. Louis would later regret.
The last straw came in the second period when Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour scored his second of the game to make it 5-1. The shot seemed like a harmless one from the point but it still found the back of the net. In fact, according to analytics, that same shot is expected to go in just 2.4% of the time. Montour wasn't done though, adding a second goal later on to push it to 6-1.
By the end of the second period, the score was 6-1 even though the Kraken had just 16 shots on goal. That is a team shooting percentage of over 33%. Any night where your team shoots that well is going to be a good one for your team, but for the Canadiens it's a tough look as they continue to tread water in the absence of Patrik Laine. Frustration is growing among the fans as most were expecting the team to take a step forward this season.
Assuming they lose tonight they will be on pace to match last season's point total at best, but are in danger of finishing even worse. Hopefully, they can turn things around soon, otherwise, we could see a lot more changes and increased drama and tension for a franchise that is trying to reestablish itself as a contender in the NHL.
