"Next Patrik Roy": NHL fans hail Habs goalie Sam Montembeault after 48-save shutout breaks Leafs' three-year scoring record

Sam Montembeault helped the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0 in their season opener on Wednesday. He made 48 saves, earning his second career shutout. This game marked the first time the Leafs were shut out since November 20, 2021. They had gone 252 games without being blanked, the third-longest streak in NHL history.

Montembeault's great performance drew attention on social media. B/R Open Ice praised his achievement as a new NHL record for saves in a season-opening shutout.

Fans shared their thoughts on X (formerly Twitter). Some compared him to Habs legend Patrik Roy, while others were shocked that he had faced criticism in the preseason.

"Next Patrick Roy," one fan said.

"Habs were brutal tonight but Montembeault was incredible. Can't believe I saw Habs fans sh*tting on him for a couple preseason games lol," another fan commented.

"Great night Sam . taste much much better against who," one X user said.

Fans on X had plenty to say after Sam Montembeault's impressive performance. Here are some more reactions from fans on X.

"Congrats Sam , not taking anything away from Sam but it's ONLY the Maple Laughs @MapleLeafs 🤭🤭🤣💀🤭 Sam Montembeault and @CanadiensMTL have a Great Season," a fan said.

"Hahahahahahaha the f**king Leafs, man," another fan laughed at the Leafs.

"Momtembeast," a fan tweeted.

Sam Montembeault reacts to shutout vs Maple Leafs

Sam Montembeault was the star of the show as the Habs shut out the Maple Leafs in the season opener.

After the game, Montembeault highlighted how the team did well to hold onto the lead after struggling to do so at times last season.

“Those are the kind of situations you want to be in,” Montembeault said per NHL.com. “Last year, it happened a few times, we were leading by a goal and then we lost it and they came back. So this year I think we did a good job. We didn’t force anything in the third (period), we just played the game that was in front of us, and I think the guys did a great job.”

A key moment came when Sam Montembeault made a save against Auston Matthews, the NHL's top goal scorer last season, in the final seconds of the game.

Montembeault's strong performance will be an important topic for the Canadiens this season. After going 40-52-18 with a 3.42 goals-against average in 109 starts over three seasons in Montreal, fans and analysts want to see if he can maintain this level of play and become a key player for the Canadiens.