Pascal Leclaire Explains Why Samuel Montembeault Will Struggle to Adjust to the American League

Samuel Montembeaultdid not have the hoped-for start with the Laval Rocket after being demoted to the American League to regain rhythm for conditioning purposes.

Even though the statistics from his last outing seem concerning (4 goals allowed on 24 shots, an average of 4.07 and a save percentage of 0.833), several observers explain that the score did not accurately reflect his performance. Let's recall that Montembeault was only beaten on one of the goals, the rest resulting from a disorganized lineup decimated by absences and suspensions.

This first game in the American League in a long time was mainly about getting back in shape and adapting to a different pace, with the primary goal being for him to find his bearings.

On this subject, we reported in a previous article that it is quite normal to see a goalie readjust when moving from the NHL to the AHL, as the speed of execution is not the same. The automatisms in front of him aren't either. A goalie who goes down must find his bearings, just like one who moves up.

However, in the podcastLa Poche Bleue,Pascal LeclairandMaxim Lapierrediscussed Montembeault's struggles in his first game in 5 years in a lower league.

According to them,"the speed of the game, the strength of the shots, and the speed of execution are all aspects Monty might need to get used to during his stint with the Laval Rocket."

He will find that the American League is not fast. For a goalie, it's literally a shock to see the difference. [...] He will overtake passes, he might be ahead of the play because he's too fast. He might move too quickly for the play unfolding in front of him. [...] The puck won't come as fast as usual. Everything will be in slow motion in front of him.

Obviously, everything is likely to fall into place very quickly. Let's hope he regains confidence to come back strong with the big club!

You can hear the excerpt fromLa Poche BleuewithPascal LeclairandMaxim Lapierreby clicking on the link below.