Player Discussion Sam "Dikembe" Montembeault

[WeThreeKings]

He's a solid goalie. He makes the saves you need.

He does let in weak goals, but he's nowhere near as bad as people say he is.

If you can shit on a player for being bad, you can compliment them when they do a nice play, or make a big save.

If you cant do that, then it's clear you don't know shit about hockey.

He actually does the opposite.

He makes a lot of big high danger saves.. and then lets in a disproportionate amount of goals from distance.

 

[expy]

He actually does the opposite.

He makes a lot of big high danger saves.. and then lets in a disproportionate amount of goals from distance.

He also tends to let in a ton of flub goals early on, making the team have to chase from behind.
He's generally ~.800 save% at the point where the team is down a goal or two (or more) and then starts making saves when it matters less.

He's definitely playing like a 3M goalie, nobody is expecting him to play like a 8M+ one (because he isn't one) and he's also not out future.

 

[Mrb1p]

Locked down the game yesterday after giving up unlucky goals.

 

[OneSharpMarble]

So many people hating on him for letting in 2 deflections last night should be ashamed, that shit is incredibly hard to stop. I don't think he's is a great #1 goalie but get a clue.

 

[WeThreeKings]

He also tends to let in a ton of flub goals early on, making the team have to chase from behind.
He's generally ~.800 save% at the point where the team is down a goal or two (or more) and then starts making saves when it matters less.

He's definitely playing like a 3M goalie, nobody is expecting him to play like a 8M+ one (because he isn't one) and he's also not out future.

No, he's just a mid stop gap. He has to work harder on getting his eyes on pucks from distance or his ability to share the net as a 1 in the NHL will eventually come to a close.

So many people hating on him for letting in 2 deflections last night should be ashamed, that shit is incredibly hard to stop. I don't think he's is a great #1 goalie but get a clue.

I play the position, I have a clue. They are deflections but they both found the net because he was guessing and put himself well outside of the net. Those deflections did not impact the side of the net those shots were going.

 

[Mrb1p]

No, he's just a mid stop gap. He has to work harder on getting his eyes on pucks from distance or his ability to share the net as a 1 in the NHL will eventually come to a close.



I play the position, I have a clue. They are deflections but they both found the net because he was guessing and put himself well outside of the net. Those deflections did not impact the side of the net those shots were going.

You play in beer league, bub.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Ngl he had a decent game last night compared to his last 10


That's about It

 

[OneSharpMarble]

I play the position, I have a clue. They are deflections but they both found the net because he was guessing and put himself well outside of the net. Those deflections did not impact the side of the net those shots were going.

He was not out of the net he was squaring up to the puck. The first one looks worse because he tried to move back.

 

[nhlfan9191]

He also tends to let in a ton of flub goals early on, making the team have to chase from behind.
He's generally ~.800 save% at the point where the team is down a goal or two (or more) and then starts making saves when it matters less.

He's definitely playing like a 3M goalie, nobody is expecting him to play like a 8M+ one (because he isn't one) and he's also not out future.

He really struggles reading the release off shooters sticks. Most of the time it leads to him guessing. Some nights the puck hits him, others it doesn’t. Like you said, he’s a $3 million dollar stop gap. You get what you pay for. He’s been really inconsistent but adequate in my opinion considering he’s playing in a roll that’s not really made for him playing close to 60 games.

 

[WeThreeKings]

He was not out of the net he was squaring up to the puck. The first one looks worse because he tried to move back.

He was guessing and sliding to the wrong side of the net on both of those shots. The first one looks worse because if he didn't guess, he would've been easily able to stop that puck as the deflection took all the steam out of it.

 

[OneSharpMarble]

He was guessing and sliding to the wrong side of the net on both of those shots. The first one looks worse because if he didn't guess, he would've been easily able to stop that puck as the deflection took all the steam out of it.

It's not a guess when he saw the initial shot and it gets DEFLECTED to the other side. Good Lord this is such a weekend warrior take.

 

[WeThreeKings]

It's not a guess when he saw the initial shot and it gets DEFLECTED to the other side. Good Lord this is such a weekend warrior take.

The initial shot was going to the same SIDE of the net in BOTH occasions. The only thing that the deflections did was move the puck in a different vertical plane from the original shot.

You can yell about weekend warrior or whatever else silly internet insults you want. Go look up his stats on shots from distance. You can listen to Arpon and Godin's pod, if you want to hear it from them.

He is one of the worst goalies in the league with shots from distance and regardless if both of those shots were tipped, he put himself in a spot to minimize all odds he had of dealing with those deflections by guessing on shots from distance and going to the incorrect side of the net from the original shot location.

 

[OneSharpMarble]

The initial shot was going to the same SIDE of the net in BOTH occasions. The only thing that the deflections did was move the puck in a different vertical plane from the original shot.

You can yell about weekend warrior or whatever else silly internet insults you want. Go look up his stats on shots from distance. You can listen to Arpon and Godin's pod, if you want to hear it from them.

He is one of the worst goalies in the league with shots from distance and regardless if both of those shots were tipped, he put himself in a spot to minimize all odds he had of dealing with those deflections by guessing on shots from distance and going to the incorrect side of the net from the original shot location.

Well if Arpon says something it must be right. Why not ask Tony Marinaro while we're at it and he can mist some facts onto us with his water bottle.

The first goal had a big deflection and barely caught the close side and the second he was barely moving in. You can't position for every possible deflection.

 

[Schooner Guy]

One important part of being a competent goalie (especially in Montreal) is mental toughness. Monty has this in spades. All goalies allow bad goals, fluke goals etc (look at the goal Slaf scored on future hall of famer Bobrovsky on Sunday). Monty's able to brush them off, battle and get us a point. I think he only has 2 regulation losses since sometime in January and he cetainly isn't playing behind a juggernaut and it's the 2nd youngest team in the NHL.

The constant criticism and belly aching is foolish.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Well if Arpon says something it must be right. Why not ask Tony Marinaro while we're at it and he can mist some facts onto us with his water bottle.

The first goal had a big deflection and barely caught the close side and the second he was barely moving in. You can't position for every possible deflection.

You can try and get your eyes on a shot from distance and not push frantically to the opposite side of the net on a guess.

Lol why does it matter who is the source of communicating the data? Data is data.

It doesn't matter if it's Arpon or Tony or me or Jesus Christ himself.. the data that is tracked is the data that is true. He is one of the worst goalies in the league on shots from distance. He is one of the best goalies on high danger shots.

It's a legitimate weakness and it caught him out last night the same way it's caught him out in many many games this year, particularly when his workload gets too high.

 

[expy]

He was not out of the net he was squaring up to the puck. The first one looks worse because he tried to move back.

Being square to the puck but being off-angle is useless. He's chasing and guessing, which is what led to the 2 goals against yesterday despite the deflections. If he doesn't move from his angle, both pucks hit him.

Same thing happened on the disallowed goal as well. Guessed, went off angle, but lucky it got called off.

 

[OneSharpMarble]

You can try and get your eyes on a shot from distance and not push frantically to the opposite side of the net on a guess.

Lol why does it matter who is the source of communicating the data? Data is data.

It doesn't matter if it's Arpon or Tony or me or Jesus Christ himself.. the data that is tracked is the data that is true. He is one of the worst goalies in the league on shots from distance. He is one of the best goalies on high danger shots.

It's a legitimate weakness and it caught him out last night the same way it's caught him out in many many games this year, particularly when his workload gets too high.

First of all like I said it wasn't a "guess" no matter how desperate you are to say he was "cheating" or some other such nonsense. It was a high deflection that he couldn't get back to. It wasn't a "frantic push" either, on the second one he barely moved so try again.

Second of all data can be interpreted many different ways and just because a goal goes in "from distance" doesn't give you carte blanche to blame him for every single goal that gets past him "from distance" especially ones that get deflected.

 

[WeThreeKings]

First of all like I said it wasn't a "guess" no matter how desperate you are to say he was "cheating" or some other such nonsense. It was a high deflection that he couldn't get back to. It wasn't a "frantic push" either, on the second one he barely moved so try again.

Second of all data can be interpreted many different ways and just because a goal goes in "from distance" doesn't give you carte blanche to blame him for every single goal that gets past him "from distance" especially ones that get deflected.

Again, I play the position. Monty would tell you those are stoppable deflections if he plays everything ahead of the deflection properly. Which he didn't.

Other goalies have come in and chimed in to say the same thing.

Just because something gets deflected doesn't mean it can't be stopped, especially if the process before the shot is flawed, which it was, and has been. Which is why he's one of the worst in the league when shots are directed from further out.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

He actually does the opposite.

He makes a lot of big high danger saves.. and then lets in a disproportionate amount of goals from distance.

Those are usually because the team can't clear the front of the net.

When there's 3 people in front of you it's going to be hard to pick it up and track it.

He isn't Price, but honestly there isn't a goalie in the league that is.

If he can be Chris Osgood he will have a chance to be with the habs.

Worst case for him at this point he becomes a 1B who plays 30ish games a year.

Well, I guess worst case is he falls off a cliff, but given his current play.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Look at this freeze frame as he's about to release his 'shot'. Do you see ANYONE on the glove side of the ice? Not a single threat. There's literally nothing pre shot here, that should have been pre-scanned to say that a pass or a shot would go to the glove side of the net.

Now the puck is just about to deflect off of Evans stick, which barely changed the direction at all, at best that puck was going middle of the net along the ice. The only option that is emerging here is a guy who would have to receive the puck on his back hand, with a Habs defender literally on his back where a stick lift would be easily performed. Even if it gets on the backhand, there's more than enough time to get out of a butterfly and push across to make that save, his stick is so far ahead of him to pick that puck up that he would have no leverage to put it in the top of the net.

With 0 pace the puck is now sliding to the empty side of the net and the puck has no chance of getting to the net drive. Monty could try to load his glove side skate and push across and put this way, but instead decides to try to swipe at it with his stick and misses.

The second one I will admit a bit of wrong here. Samoskevich is shooting to the glove side of the net here, but Monty's positioning is good enough here that he doesn't need an aggressive push to the glove side of the net. The side of the net option is covered and Samsokevich is showing a high glove side shot here. His elbows are up off his body, his blade is pointed to the glove and Montembeault can make a composed glove save from distance here.

Here you can see that Montembeault, even on a shot that's reading high, look at how Samoskevich's stick is on the follow through. That shot is high, Monty is already off his glove side edge, starting a push toward the net side forward, he's guessing that Samoskevich is looking for a down low play to the side of the net rather than a shot. Shading his glove down to the ice to the point that he's actually minimized his ability to save the shot if it doesn't get deflected.

Tipped down and into the net. If he holds his positioning on the initial shot from Samoskevich, with no loss of edge to push across, he would be more square to the deflection and easily able to get down into a butterfly with a blocker side leg extension along the ice to make the save and be able to recover on his glove side edge and get square to the open Florida player on the blocker side of the ice on the rebound.

 

[Shutdown]

First of all like I said it wasn't a "guess" no matter how desperate you are to say he was "cheating" or some other such nonsense. It was a high deflection that he couldn't get back to. It wasn't a "frantic push" either, on the second one he barely moved so try again.

Second of all data can be interpreted many different ways and just because a goal goes in "from distance" doesn't give you carte blanche to blame him for every single goal that gets past him "from distance" especially ones that get deflected.

2nd goal wasn't on him. bad luck on the deflection.

​

but this is brutal. and he was cheating to the middle to play the slot tip or shot.

 

[expy]

but this is brutal. and he was cheating to the middle to play the slot tip or shot.View attachment 1004690

Bingo bango

 

[expy]

View attachment 1004672

Look at this freeze frame as he's about to release his 'shot'. Do you see ANYONE on the glove side of the ice? Not a single threat. There's literally nothing pre shot here, that should have been pre-scanned to say that a pass or a shot would go to the glove side of the net.

View attachment 1004673

Now the puck is just about to deflect off of Evans stick, which barely changed the direction at all, at best that puck was going middle of the net along the ice. The only option that is emerging here is a guy who would have to receive the puck on his back hand, with a Habs defender literally on his back where a stick lift would be easily performed. Even if it gets on the backhand, there's more than enough time to get out of a butterfly and push across to make that save, his stick is so far ahead of him to pick that puck up that he would have no leverage to put it in the top of the net.

View attachment 1004674

With 0 pace the puck is now sliding to the empty side of the net and the puck has no chance of getting to the net drive. Monty could try to load his glove side skate and push across and put this way, but instead decides to try to swipe at it with his stick and misses.

View attachment 1004678

The second one I will admit a bit of wrong here. Samoskevich is shooting to the glove side of the net here, but Monty's positioning is good enough here that he doesn't need an aggressive push to the glove side of the net. The side of the net option is covered and Samsokevich is showing a high glove side shot here. His elbows are up off his body, his blade is pointed to the glove and Montembeault can make a composed glove save from distance here.

View attachment 1004681

Here you can see that Montembeault, even on a shot that's reading high, look at how Samoskevich's stick is on the follow through. That shot is high, Monty is already off his glove side edge, starting a push toward the net side forward, he's guessing that Samoskevich is looking for a down low play to the side of the net rather than a shot. Shading his glove down to the ice to the point that he's actually minimized his ability to save the shot if it doesn't get deflected.

View attachment 1004684

Tipped down and into the net. If he holds his positioning on the initial shot from Samoskevich, with no loss of edge to push across, he would be more square to the deflection and easily able to get down into a butterfly with a blocker side leg extension along the ice to make the save and be able to recover on his glove side edge and get square to the open Florida player on the blocker side of the ice on the rebound.

Yep!

 

[BLONG7]

View attachment 1004672

Look at this freeze frame as he's about to release his 'shot'. Do you see ANYONE on the glove side of the ice? Not a single threat. There's literally nothing pre shot here, that should have been pre-scanned to say that a pass or a shot would go to the glove side of the net.

View attachment 1004673

Now the puck is just about to deflect off of Evans stick, which barely changed the direction at all, at best that puck was going middle of the net along the ice. The only option that is emerging here is a guy who would have to receive the puck on his back hand, with a Habs defender literally on his back where a stick lift would be easily performed. Even if it gets on the backhand, there's more than enough time to get out of a butterfly and push across to make that save, his stick is so far ahead of him to pick that puck up that he would have no leverage to put it in the top of the net.

View attachment 1004674

With 0 pace the puck is now sliding to the empty side of the net and the puck has no chance of getting to the net drive. Monty could try to load his glove side skate and push across and put this way, but instead decides to try to swipe at it with his stick and misses.

View attachment 1004678

The second one I will admit a bit of wrong here. Samoskevich is shooting to the glove side of the net here, but Monty's positioning is good enough here that he doesn't need an aggressive push to the glove side of the net. The side of the net option is covered and Samsokevich is showing a high glove side shot here. His elbows are up off his body, his blade is pointed to the glove and Montembeault can make a composed glove save from distance here.

View attachment 1004681

Here you can see that Montembeault, even on a shot that's reading high, look at how Samoskevich's stick is on the follow through. That shot is high, Monty is already off his glove side edge, starting a push toward the net side forward, he's guessing that Samoskevich is looking for a down low play to the side of the net rather than a shot. Shading his glove down to the ice to the point that he's actually minimized his ability to save the shot if it doesn't get deflected.

View attachment 1004684

Tipped down and into the net. If he holds his positioning on the initial shot from Samoskevich, with no loss of edge to push across, he would be more square to the deflection and easily able to get down into a butterfly with a blocker side leg extension along the ice to make the save and be able to recover on his glove side edge and get square to the open Florida player on the blocker side of the ice on the rebound.

All........very good info with the evidence to back it up His technique needs work.

Monty guesses too much, and overplays certain shots............routinely sliding away from the net, for some reason. This makes him a sieve on certain nights.............it's all in the hilights guys. How may times have we been down 2-3 goals.................not that it is all on him. Our D is awful some nights too.........and it's ok to critique both the goalies, and the D.

This year, we can score goals, which has us winning games, when our goalie has a sub 900 sv %

That said, he also stands very tall on some nights, and is huge in helping us win. Consistency is what he and the fans are all looking for.

 

[WeThreeKings]

All........very good info with the evidence to back it up His technique needs work.

Monty guesses too much, and overplays certain shots............routinely sliding away from the net, for some reason. This makes him a sieve on certain nights.............it's all in the hilights guys. How may times have we been down 2-3 goals.................not that it is all on him. Our D is awful some nights too.........and it's ok to critique both the goalies, and the D.

This year, we can score goals, which has us winning games, when our goalie has a sub 900 sv %

That said, he also stands very tall on some nights, and is huge in helping us win. Consistency is what he and the fans are all looking for.

He did everything asked of him in the 3rd, so it certainly wasn't a poor game from him.. but I just want to always be honest in my assessment of goals against.