The turbulent goaltending situation for the Montreal Canadiens took a decisive turn on Saturday, December 22, 2025. On a Hockey Night in Canada broadcast from the Bell Centre, rookie netminder Jacob Fowler delivered a performance that may have permanently altered the team's crease hierarchy, shutting out Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins for his first career NHL shutout.
A Star is Born on Saturday Night
The 21-year-old Fowler, hailing from Melbourne, Florida, was nothing short of dominant in the high-pressure spotlight. He stymied the Penguins' attack with confidence, making several key saves that electrified the home crowd. A notable stop on Kevin Hayes during an early breakaway and a spectacular denial of Connor Dewar in the second period highlighted his poised and commanding presence. Fowler's efforts earned him the game's first star and left the Bell Centre in a state of euphoria.
The significance of the night was amplified as Crosby entered the game poised to tie or break Mario Lemieux's franchise points record, a milestone that was postponed thanks to Fowler's heroics. The Canadiens' management and fans alike were left with a compelling question: has the team finally found its true number-one goalie?
Montembeault's Downward Spiral
Fowler's ascendancy stands in stark contrast to the recent struggles of Samuel Montembeault. The Quebecois goalie, who signed a three-year, $9.45-million contract before this season, has faced immense difficulty. After a publicized plan to have him play two games with the AHL's Laval Rocket in Cleveland to regain form, the scenario shifted dramatically.
Montembeault lost both games with the Rocket and was deemed to have looked particularly weak in the first contest. Instead of rejoining the Canadiens in Pittsburgh as initially planned, he returned to Montreal by bus with the minor-league squad. As of Monday, December 23, he was practicing at the team's facility in Brossard with the Rocket's goalie coach, Marco Marciano, not the Habs' staff.
The statistics underscore his challenging season. Entering the week, Montembeault ranked 80th in the NHL in save percentage (.857) and 77th in goals-against average (3.65), placing him among the league's lowest-performing goalies.
An Impending Goaltending Decision
The Canadiens are now faced with a critical decision as they approach their final game before Christmas in Boston on Tuesday and a post-holiday road trip. The original plan to rely on Montembeault as a veteran presence alongside rookie Jakub Dobes has been upended by Fowler's emergence.
While some analysts and members of the local francophone media maintain a soft spot for un p'tit gars de chez nous (one of our own), the on-ice reality is difficult to ignore. The argument against relying on two rookie goalies is being challenged by the simple fact that the team cannot succeed with consistently subpar netminding.
Management, led by Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes, is now in a phase where winning games must take precedence over development or sentimentality. The options for Montembeault appear limited: he could serve as a healthy scratch while Fowler and Dobes handle the workload, or the team could place him on waivers to see if another organization is willing to take a chance. Regardless, the pressure that accompanied his new contract, television advertisements, and Olympic team speculation seems to have taken a significant toll.
For the first time in years, the Canadiens have a potential franchise goalie performing on the big stage. How they manage the fallout will be a defining moment for the rebuild and their hopes of securing a playoff berth.
