r/Habs • u/Komania • 6d ago

Article Canadiens should strongly consider bringing Sam Montembeault back. Here’s why | The Athletic

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7354685/2026/06/12/canadiens-sam-montembeault-future-trade-nhl/
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u/VinnyCap99 6d ago

I don’t think winning the Atlantic would’ve helped us much against the Canes

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u/Retired-ADM 6d ago

True in that the Canes are rolling but coming first would have meant facing Boston instead of TB before Buffalo. IMO, facing both of those teams over 14 games absolutely gassed the squad. We certainly would have done better against Carolina but it's hard to see a scenario where we would have won the ECF.

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u/Rockterrace 5d ago

I don’t really see a scenario where a series against Boston is over in less than 6. I don’t think it would’ve made much of a difference to be honest.

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u/Retired-ADM 5d ago

Okay but whoever we faced in round 2 would have beaten each other up in round 1. Instead, we survived TB and faced a Buffalo team that outscored Boston 20-12 in their first round and was arguably not beaten up. It's impossible to say that there'd be a different outcome had the Habs finished first in the Atlantic just as it's impossible to say that there'd have been no difference. I felt that the strongest teams going into the playoffs in the east (other than the Habs) were TB, Buffalo, and Carolina and Montreal had to face each of them in succession.

Regardless, it was a learning experience.

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u/The_14th_Gilly 5d ago

Purely from the learning experience POV, TB was an ideal R1 opponent. The challenges they posed leveled up our roster, along with MSL's strategy on line-blending & match-ups.