We’re one game into the 2024-25 season and the Montreal Canadiens have yet to allow a goal against. They can thank starting goalie Samuel Montembeault for that.
With a hard-earned shutout in Montreal’s home opener on Wednesday, the 27-year-old netminder not only helped the Habs best their historic rivals on opening night, but also etched his name into the record books — setting a new NHL mark for most saves in a shutout during a season opener.
Montembeault stopped all 48 shots he faced from a determined Toronto Maple Leafs squad, allowing him to surpass Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild, who had a 41-save shutout in their opener against the Florida Panthers last October, to take the top spot on the all-time leaderboard.
Monty a établi un record de la LNH pour le plus d'arrêts dans un blanchissage lors d'un match d'ouverture depuis que les tirs ont commencé à être calculés en 1955-1956 🧱
Monty set an NHL record for most saves in a season-opening shutout since shots were first tracked in 1955-56… pic.twitter.com/zIxNW4GzbA
— Canadiens MontrĂ©al (@CanadiensMTL) October 10, 2024
When asked about the feat after the game, Montembeault, who also put an end to Toronto’s 250+ game streak of not being shut out, was unaware that he had just made history.
“Were you aware that you set an NHL record tonight?” a reporter asked the Bécancour, Quebec, native after the game.
“No, I had no idea,” Montembeault, who signed a three-year extension with Montreal in December, replied.
“For the most saves in a season-opening shutout,” the reporter said, clarifying his question.
“Oh really? That’s nice,” the netminder replied.
Unsurprisingly, head coach Martin St. Louis also had some kind words about the game’s first star.
“I think for the team, it just shows confidence in Monty,” St. Louis told reporters after the game. “Monty playing this game, it’s big for him. You don’t get do-overs. This is the first game of the season, you don’t get to go back and replay it. So to me, it’s a lot of positive tonight.”
On top of setting a league-wide season opener record, the Habs starter also came close to a franchise record.
Montembeault’s 48 saves rank as the second-highest total by a Canadiens goalie in a shutout, trailing only Jacques Plante’s 52-save performance against the Chicago Blackhawks on November 13, 1955.
Now riding a 1-0-0 record, the Canadiens will be back in action on Thursday night when they take on the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.