While an extreme cold snap hits Quebec, Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault smiled at the idea of enjoying a pina colada on a beach in Mexico during the All-Star Game break.
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The 26-year-old Quebecer, who is one of the great revelations of the Montreal club this season, certainly did not steal these precious days of respite.
“It will give me time to pick up and take a little sun”, he noted, specifying that the trip to Mexican soil was planned with his girlfriend, but also in the company of defender David Savard and his wife. .
“I’ve been playing a lot of hockey recently with Jake’s injury [Allen], noted Montembeault, rightly, he who was automatically for nine of the Habs’ most recent eleven games. It will be good to relax your legs by not touching the ice for a few days. It’s also good to be able to get away from hockey. We’re here all the time and we’re just thinking about it. It’s going to be good to have your head elsewhere and enjoy the moment. »
“Really happy”
If he intends to rest a little, Montembeault will certainly not complain about the fact that he has been used so much in the last month.
“I was happy to have several games in a row and to see so much action, he also indicated. It hadn’t happened to me in a long time, possibly since junior with the Armada. »
The goalkeeper from Sainte-Gertrude, near Bécancour, took part in 10 games during the month of January. In particular, he played four games in six days, between January 12 and 17, blocking 138 of the 145 pucks he faced.
Taking advantage of Montembeault’s .952 save rate during this period, the Canadian had three wins [sur quatre]against the Nashville Predators, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets.
” I am really happy. I think it’s been going well since the start of the season. I worked hard last summer, and we continue to do so with the goalkeeper coach [Éric Raymond]. I am happy with the progress and it is important to continue on this path. »
A busy return
Montembeault, who is 10-10-2, will look to build on his momentum when he returns from Mexico. The CH will play two games in as many days coming back from the star break, having an appointment at the Bell Center with the New York Islanders on February 11, then with the Edmonton Oilers the next day.
“Coming back, we’ll have two straight games and I expect to possibly play one of the two,” he projected. In fact, the Canadian will even play a third game in four days at the Bell Centre, on February 14, Valentine’s Day, against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The captain at the beach
Photo taken from Instagram
Proud representative of the Canadian at the weekend of the stars in Sunrise, Florida, Nick Suzuki took the opportunity to make a short stay at the beach. Chantal Machabée, vice-president of hockey communications for the Habs, shared a photo on her Instagram account showing the captain comfortably seated on a towel in the colors of his team. Several of Suzuki’s teammates will also enjoy a vacation in the sun. Quebec defender Mike Matheson planned to go to the Sunshine State to rest, while youngsters Arber Xhekaj and Juraj Slafkovsky opted for Mexico, like Samuel Montembeault and David Savard.