BROSSARD — The elimination at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes has clearly left its mark on the Montreal Canadiens. The first game of the Eastern Conference Finals, won 6-2 by the Habs, turned out to be an anomaly, as Martin St-Louis’s squad was shut down by Rod Brind’Amour’s team in the following four games. With that in mind, the Canadiens have decided to focus on their defensive play during training camp. The goal is to spend less time defending their zone and more time at the other end of the rink, trying to beat the opposing goaltender. “If you look at the Hurricanes—the details in their play, the way they use their sticks effectively—they don’t have the biggest team, but they win every battle,” noted forward Phillip Danault. Whether you’re in the defensive zone, the neutral zone, or the offensive zone, they’re right in your face. So that’s kind of what we’re talking about.” Danault said there haven’t been any major changes to the Canadiens’ system. However, the players need to find ways to be more effective with their sticks and in their positioning. “It’s about blocking shots and using your stick to break up plays,” added goaltender Samuel Montembeault. “We’re talking about stifling plays more quickly, especially after a turnover, a missed play, or when the puck goes into the corner. We want to be able to transition to offense more quickly.” One of the main goals of hiring Derek Lalonde as an assistant coach to Martin St-Louis is to help the team refine its play in its own zone. Lalonde will also assist Stéphane Robidas with the penalty kill. St-Louis had sent his top forwards playing on the penalty kill to Toronto during the preseason games played simultaneously on Saturday night. The Canadiens found themselves shorthanded six times, and the Maple Leafs scored once on a shot that deflected twice before catching goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen off guard. “We have a new system, but the cohesion came naturally,” Danault said. “There were no gray areas.” The Canadiens should defend a bit more in a diamond formation, Montembeault noted. Danault, for his part, recalled the impact Lalonde had with the Tampa Bay Lightning using this system. “They went from 1/828th to 3/8th to first place when he arrived,” Danault noted. “We’re seeing the details he emphasizes and the difference it can make.” The Canadiens ranked 18th in the NHL last season on the penalty kill, with a 78.2 per cent success rate. Montembeault stops the butterflies While Cole Caufield played the hero in overtime for the Canadiens squad that remained in Montreal on Saturday, Danault scored twice in a 4-1 win in Toronto. Montembeault guarded the Canadiens’ net during the first half of the game in Toronto and stopped all 13 shots he faced. The 29-year-old Quebec-born goaltender was making his first appearance since March 6. Montembeault was benched from the Montreal lineup for the final stretch of the regular season and the entire playoffs due to his poor performances throughout the campaign. Montembeault had said he had put all that behind him over the summer. He confirmed this fresh start with a strong performance against the Maple Leafs, who had saved their best players for the game in Toronto. “I was nervous before the game started, but I’m really happy with how things went,’ said Montembeault. “I’d had some great practices leading up to it. I applied what I’d done in practice, and it went well.” Montembeault admitted he was glad to have that first start behind him, though he added that he’ll certainly feel a little pressure before his next regular-season start. The Canadiens will play their next preseason game on Monday against the Ottawa Senators at the Colisée Vidéotron in Trois-Rivières. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 20, 2026.
