Montembeault injury scare, leaky defence headline Canadiens evening report

The crease has become a concern again in Montreal. On Wednesday, Samuel Montembeault appeared to suffer a lower-body injury during Canadiens practice, leaving his status uncertain and reopening the debate about the club’s goaltending depth. With the extent of the issue still unknown, the Habs are suddenly staring at a potential early-season problem in goal.

Defensive struggles exposed in 6–4 loss

Montreal’s broader issue remains in front of the goalie, though. Through three games, the Canadiens have already surrendered 14 goals and sit 7th in the Atlantic Division with a 1-1-1 record and three points. On Tuesday night at the Bell Centre, Sebastian Aho and Taylor Hall powered the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6–4 win, capping a perfect two-game road trip for Carolina and once again exposing Montreal’s defensive fragility.

Help could be on the way soon. Kaiden Guhle and Oliver Kapanen are expected back within about a week, and both are being counted on to shore up Montreal’s work without the puck, on the blue line and down the middle. Until then, the coaching staff has to find short-term answers with the pieces on hand, all while not knowing exactly when Montembeault will be ready to play again.

Second line in flux as Predators come to town

Up front, the Canadiens are still searching for the right mix on the second line. With Ivan Demidov sidelined for roughly a month, Kirby Dach was given a look in that spot against Carolina, but the experiment fell flat and other options like Texier and Bolduc are already pushing for a chance.

The focus now shifts to Thursday night, when the Nashville Predators visit the Bell Centre for a 7 p.m. start in Montreal. Between a leaky defence, unsettled goaltending after the Montembeault scare and an open competition on the second line, the Habs head into their next home date with no shortage of early-season questions to answer.