Montembeault sidelined, shaky start under scrutiny: Canadiens evening report

The biggest storyline around the Canadiens this evening is in goal. Samuel Montembeault will be out of action for 10 to 14 days with a lower-body injury, the team announced Friday morning, according to La Presse. Daily Faceoff similarly reports an absence of about two weeks after he was hurt in practice earlier this week, before making his season debut.

Sportsnet frames this as a tough blow to Montembeault’s push for redemption, after he had put in the work to earn another opportunity. That path is now temporarily on hold while he rehabs and tries to climb back into the picture.

Looking back at Thursday’s loss and the early-season debate

On the ice, the Canadiens are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Nashville Predators at the Bell Centre on Thursday night. The Hockey Writers notes that the final score is misleading, arguing that Montreal controlled much of the play even if Nashville walked away with the win.

Eyes on the Prize goes as far as calling it the Habs’ first truly convincing effort of the season, undone by ill-timed penalties and a penalty kill that couldn’t hold. Mike Matheson is at the centre of attention after a major mistake late in the game; La Presse reports that the veteran defenceman had a hard time swallowing both the error and the result.

In the standings, the Canadiens sit seventh in the Atlantic Division with 3 points through 4 games and a 1-2-1 record. La Presse is already asking whether this qualifies as a bad start for a team coming off 106 points, a conference final appearance, and expectations of being on the rise.

Trudeau on injured reserve and eyes on Detroit

Blue-line depth took a hit on the other side as well. Daily Faceoff reports that the Predators placed William Trudeau on injured reserve after he was hurt in Thursday’s game against Montreal.

For the Habs, focus now shifts quickly to what’s next: the Detroit Red Wings visit the Bell Centre on Saturday night, with puck drop at 7:00 p.m. Montreal time. With a shaky record out of the gate and an important goaltender sidelined, that matchup already feels like an early test of this group’s mettle.