Saturday night at the Bell Centre was anything but ordinary for the Montreal Canadiens. The energy was tense, the stakes were high, and as the final buzzer sounded, a wave of frustration swept through the locker room. The Canadiens, led by Martin St-Louis, found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline against the New York Rangers—a result that left fans searching for answers and players grappling with the aftermath.

But what unfolded after the game proved to be even more intriguing than the action on the ice. In a rare moment of candor, Montreal’s goaltender Samuel Montembeault stepped forward with a surprising admission that sent shockwaves through the team and its supporters. What exactly did Montembeault say? And why did he choose to single himself out in a sport where blame is usually shared?

As discussions swirled and speculation mounted, another name emerged in the narrative, further complicating the story and raising questions about accountability within the Canadiens’ ranks. Is this a turning point for the team, or just another chapter in a long, grueling season?

Dive deeper into the post-game drama and discover the full story behind the Canadiens’ Saturday night struggles.

Oct 18, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault (35) steps onto the ice during the warmup period before the game against the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens experienced all kinds of struggles on Saturday night against the New York Rangers, and Martin St-Louis’s squad fell 4-3.

After the game, goaltender Samuel Montembeault named another culprit for his team’s struggles against the Rangers.

After Lane Hutson (who had already pointed the finger at himself earlier), Montembeault has now done the same.

I always find it rather harsh when a single person takes the blame for a team loss, but well, that’s what Monty did on Saturday night.

“Samuel Montembeault says he is going to take the blame for tonight’s loss; says he has to be better.”

– Marco D’Amico

“I’m gonna take most of the blame. I have to be better… The guys are working hard & playing well on both sides of puck. It’s on me to make the saves.”

– Samuel Montembeault

Samuel Montembeault names himself as responsible for Saturday night’s loss

In any case, no one can say there’s no “accountability” or sense of responsibility in that locker room!

I don’t necessarily agree with Samuel, and I don’t believe he’s the only one “responsible” for the loss against the Rangers, but it’s still good to see that he’s fully aware he needs to give more for the Montreal Canadiens!

Knowing him, it’s clear he’ll double his efforts (even though his work ethic is already absolutely impeccable), and it’s clear he’ll be putting in a lot of extra time this week.

So far this season, his stats haven’t been good compared to the other goalies in the league. However, i’ll say it again, let’s not forget everything Samuel Montembeault did for the Montreal Canadiens last season!

Without him, I’m convinced we absolutely wouldn’t have had any playoff hockey last spring.