Montreal — The Montreal Canadiens were steamrolled by the Los Angeles Kings in a 5-1 defeat that turned Military Appreciation Night into a nightmare at the Bell Centre. But while fans and analysts pointed fingers, head coach Martin St. Louis made one thing crystal clear: Samuel Montembeault is not to blame.
After the Kings scored three goals in just over four minutes during the second period, the Habs looked lifeless. With only 22 shots on goal, they never truly challenged their opponents. Yet in the post-game press conference, St. Louis refused to throw his goaltender under the bus.
“I’m not worried,” he said. “We weren’t sharp in front of Monty tonight.”
The message was unmistakable: the defensive collapse—not Montembeault’s performance—was the real issue. Despite being left exposed multiple times, the Quebec-born goalie faced the storm alone while the rest of the team failed to respond.
Observers noted that Doug Armstrong and Julien BriseBois were in the stands, watching Montembeault closely. But after this outing, his chances of making Team Canada may have taken a hit.
Still, St. Louis doubled down on his support, calling for a morning practice in Brossard to reset the team’s focus. The Canadiens currently rank second-last in the league for shots on goal, and the urgency to fix their offensive rhythm is growing.
In a night full of disappointment, St. Louis chose loyalty over blame. Whether that gamble pays off will be seen in the next clash against the Dallas Stars.