The NHL Thread
For the 5 of us who post NHL stuff, here you go. Officially the season starts Tuesday October 11, although there were tw
Had no idea Montembeault was that old. He doesn't make that much, maybe you can dump him on Edmonton
Glenn Hall passed away his stats of plying 500+ straight games no injuries at a time were they did not wear masks is unbelievable
This is one of the toughest things I ever heard, learning of it just now. By that I mean that's a tough guy to play that many games in a row at goalie without a mask. Amazing. RIP Glenn Hall.
Glenn Hall passed away his stats of plying 500+ straight games no injuries at a time were they did not wear masks is unbelievable
I'm not trying to dismiss his accomplishments or the streak, but it was done when curved sticks weren't a thing (or at least not until the end of his streak). Wearing a mask isn't quite as impressive as it sounds.
Over the last three seasons prior to 2025-26, Samuel Montembeault solidified himself as a legitimate NHL starter by consistently outperforming the defense in front of him. His primary advanced metric, Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx), shows he prevented roughly 57 total goals that statistically should have gone in, ranking him 5th among all NHL goaltenders in cumulative GSAx during that span. In the 2023-24 season alone, he posted an 18.39 GSAx, which was 10th best in the league. Furthermore, his Quality Start (QS) numbers have been elite; he recorded a 70% Quality Start rate in 2023-24—a mark typically reserved for Vezina Trophy contenders—proving he consistently gives his team a chance to win despite facing some of the highest shot volumes in the league.
In the 2024–25 season, Sam Montembeault performed as a top-tier starter, finishing third in the NHL in goals saved above expected (GSAx), trailing only Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck and Anthony Stolarz. While elite goalies like Hellebuyck and Bobrovsky played behind dominant defensive systems, Montembeault maintained a 53.3% quality start rate despite facing a much higher volume of high-danger chances on a rebuilding Montreal team. His ability to steal games—highlighted by a 48-save opening night shutout—proved he was more valuable than his surface stats suggested, ultimately outperforming Bobrovsky in advanced efficiency metrics and earning a spot on Team Canada.
Samuel Montembeault has started 15 games for the Canadiens so far in the 2025–26 season.
Samuel Montembeault won his last two starts.
Jan 4, 2026 vs. Dallas: Stopped 24 of 27 shots in a 4-3 win.
Dec 30, 2025 vs. Florida: Stopped 28 of 30 shots in a 3-2 win.
He looked sharp and athletic, specifically stopping 52 of 57 total shots over the two games.
Shot Quality: He faced high-pressure situations, including an acrobatic stop on a Sam Steel give-and-go and a critical overtime breakaway save on Wyatt Johnston.
Performance: While he allowed a "soft" wraparound goal early against Dallas, he recovered to make several high-danger saves that preserved Montreal's leads
(All google ai)
Historically, "HuGo" (Hughes and Gorton) have been excellent at identifying value; they claimed Montembeault on waivers and signed him to a team-friendly $3.15 million AAV extension through 2027. They have shown a commitment to his development, recently using a strategic AHL conditioning loan in December 2025 to help him regain confidence during a difficult slump (around an .857 save percentage) rather than panicking.
However, management has made it clear that their loyalty is to performance, not individuals. With top prospects like Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes pushing for roles, Hughes has stated he won't keep three goalies long-term and that "the goalie who plays the best will play." You can trust their process—they have protected Montembeault's value and given him every chance to succeed—but you should expect them to move on quickly if the "kids" prove they are ready to take the net.
i think at some point you need to ask if the habs front office is a bunch of geniuses you all claim they are - then why does their team always suck?
Canadiens have 2 regulation losses across last 13 games played.
Their record in that span is 9–2–2.
Since taking over prior to the 2021–22 season, the management duo of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes has overseen a steady climb in the Montreal Canadiens' performance. The team finished their inaugural 2021–22 campaign with a .335 points percentage, which improved to .415 in 2022–23 and reached .463 during the 2023–24 season. The upward trend accelerated significantly in 2024–25 as the team posted a .555 mark, and for the current 2025–26 season, the Canadiens are playing at a high level with a .628 points percentage.
Would you like me to look up the team's current standing in the Atlantic Division?
Ok google who is the youngest team to ever make the nhl playoffs?
The 2024–25 Montreal Canadiens are the youngest team to ever make the NHL playoffs, finishing the season with an average age of 25.95 years.
Ok google what is your name and what do you call me?
Your name is Clint, and mine is Gemini.
I used to be James Bond since she is British...
This is one of the toughest things I ever heard, learning of it just now. By that I mean that's a tough guy to play that many games in a row at goalie without a mask. Amazing. RIP Glenn Hall.
I'm not trying to dismiss his accomplishments or the streak, but it was done when curved sticks weren't a thing (or at least not until the end of his streak). Wearing a mask isn't quite as impressive as it sounds.
250 Stitches and this was a consecutive streak as well with playoffs 540+ games
Clint, the Montreal Canadiens currently boast one of the most envied prospect pools in the NHL, characterized by elite high-end talent and exceptional depth across all positions. At the forefront is Ivan Demidov, a dynamic offensive force often considered the system's "crown jewel," alongside Michael Hage, who has seen his stock skyrocket following an electric start at the University of Michigan. The blue line is anchored by 2023 fifth-overall pick David Reinbacher and the smooth-skating Adam Engström, while Jacob Fowler has emerged as a potential franchise goaltender with stellar numbers in his transition to the professional level. With a balanced mix of "safe" NHL projects like Owen Beck and high-upside gambles like Bryce Pickford, the pool is designed to sustain the team's current youth movement and provides management with significant flexibility for future trades or roster graduations.
Would you like a more detailed scouting report on one of these specific player?
Bryce Pickford is currently having a historic season for the Medicine Hat Tigers, leading all WHL defensemen in goals and challenging the all-time league record for goals by a blueliner in a single season. The "Z" prospect you're referring to is Alexander Zharovsky, whom the Canadiens drafted 34th overall in the 2025 second round after trading up. He is playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in Russia and recently helped his team win a KHL 3x3 championship while remaining a high-upside offensive project.
Would you like to see a list of the draft picks Montreal traded to move up for Zharovsky?
Michael Hage (Michigan/NCAA Stats)
Hage is having a dominant sophomore season at Michigan and is currently a top-10 scorer in the NCAA.
Games Played: 20
Goals: 10
Assists: 18
Total Points: 28
NCAA Ranking: Tied for 6th overall in national scoring.
He also just finished a historic performance at the 2026 World Junior Championship, where he led the entire tournament in scoring with 15 points (2G, 13A) in 7 games and was named a Media All-Star.
Would you like to see a full game-by-game breakdown of Michael Hage's recent hot streak?
Have you watched hockey from the 60s? Or know how stick curve changed the game? I stand by my statement that I don't want to minimize his accomplishments, but it's not as impressive as it sounds. Ian Laperriere had ~75+ stitches from one puck to the face and he wasn't a goalie.
Oh, he returned to the game.
A lot of guys would immediately ask for that game by game breakdown but Clint keeps it chill.
please stop with all the ai slop word bombs
i think at some point you need to ask if the habs front office is a bunch of geniuses you all claim they are - then why does their team always suck?
new front office. they started 4 years ago. rebuild is ahead of schedule. everyone is pleased.
also don't think they've always sucked. they've certainly had rough patches, but have made some fun runs. i think we have the most playoff wins since 2000 (arbitrary date, i know - pick any of your choosing) of all canadian franchises.
COWAN!!!!
The fact free hot takes of "Monty sucks" dump him now...then of course the habs always suck why their GMs even have jobs was the nail in the coffin, but I'm done.
i think at some point you need to ask if the habs front office is a bunch of geniuses you all claim they are - then why does their team always suck?
Bergevin was historically bad and has only been fired for 4 years. Habs were saddled with some horrible contracts and rebuilds take time.
They are the youngest team in the NHL yet leading their division.
Even if they were gonna roll with the young core group of Suzuki, Caufield, Demigod, Hutson, Slaf, 2 promising goalies, and no prospect pool, the future would be very bright, but on top of that they also have a full stocked prospect pool.
This young core is looking great and their prospect pool is also rated #2 by DailyFaceoff.
It doesn't seem too difficult to figure out.
Ah the Ottawa "Cheat"as
Based on the language in the press release which is wild…I believe the rumors.
Be interesting to see if Ullmark has an NHL future after this.
Yes the Steve Staois press release basically confirms it's true.
The Senators thought they had solved their longstanding goaltending woes when they signed veteran netminder Linus Ullmark a couple years ago, but Ullmark had been having a rough season when on Dec. 27 Ottawa announced he would be granted a leave of absence for personal reasons. He's been back around the team this week, but there's no timeline for his return and on Thursday afternoon the Sens moved him to non-roster status in order to be able to add another player. That's when the rumors started flying.
According to Some Guy On Twitter—a burner account that has since been deleted, and offered no sourcing—Ullmark had been caught cheating by his wife, and to defend himself basically told her all the guys do it. And according to this non-credible and non-believable rumor, Ullmark's wife had informed the wives and girlfriends of the rest of the Senators players and now everybody was mad and in trouble. Again: This didn't happen, and only a very stupid person would think it might have.
There's nothing new about infidelity rumors targeting players on struggling teams. It's almost a rite of passage. Fans get bored and creative and concoct a simple explanation for an unhappy locker room, when the actual reasons for a losing team are multiple and boring. The Senators, sniffing the basement in the East, would've been a prime candidate for this tradition even before the unexplained absence of their top goalie. So perhaps that is why the rumor got the traction it did in Senators social media and message board circles. Usually these things take a few days to percolate up; this one needed only hours.
The thing is, though: If you weren't already a Senators Sicko this probably hadn't appeared on your radar. Until GM Steve Staios put out that slightly histrionic statement about "the lowest forms of trolls and sick people who scour the internet," at which point you no doubt needed to find out what the hell he was talking about. I don't know if they consulted with Ullmark before releasing this statement, but if not, it's classic Streisand Effect material. Either way, it's classic Ottawa Senators.
So, to recap Ottawa's night in net, chronologically: They released a statement condemning sick internet people for spreading false rumors about their absent goalie. They started Leevi Meriläinen on the second night of a back-to-back and then pulled him after he gave up three goals on 12 shots. Mads Søgaard then allowed five goals on 16 shots in relief. They announced, between periods, they are signing castoff James Reimer. They brought Meriläinen back in to play the third period. Avalanche 8, Senators 2. In their ongoing battle against normalcy, however, the Sens are pitching a shutout.
lol staios streisanding this thing by feeding the "trolls" instead of just no commenting and doing whatever behind closed doors gjge
Thanks for posting the meat of the article. That seems to be a lost art on this forum. 👍
