CONTEST: Win a jersey off a player's back
Here are the lines and defense pairings featured by interim head coach Martin St-Louis:
Update on Price
Shortly before the media availability began, the team announced that Carey Price would travel with the team for a medical evaluation. He remains day-to-day.
The 34-year-old goaltender underwent knee surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York last July.
While there's obvious concern for Price's condition, St-Louis didn't press the panic button.
"Is it a blow to team morale]? No. I thought it was a big plus for him to fight and get back from a long year of dealing with his injury. We knew that him playing, we knew that it wasn't just going to be smooth sailing," said St-Louis. "There's possibilities. That's where we're at. That's why he's getting looked at."
[Video: Martin St-Louis on the status of Carey Price
Price, who made his season debut on April 15, has compiled an 0-4-0 record, along with a 4.04 goals-against average and a .853 save percentage.
Like St-Louis, Josh Anderson didn't want to speculate about Price's status moving forward.
"I think it's just an update. We all go through it. Anytime you come back from a surgery or what not, you want to get checkups. I've been there before," said Anderson. "I'm sure it's just to check on how things are going and go from there."
St-Louis on Montembeault: "I tip my cap to him"
Even though Sam Montembeault's numbers aren't sparkling, it's safe to say he opened some eyes this season.
The 25-year-old Bécancour native certainly impressed his bench boss in their short time together.
"He showed he can play in the NHL. He showed his value as a goaltender this year," praised St-Louis. "He seized the opportunity. It wasn't always easy, but he continued to battle. I tip my cap to him."
Video: Sam Montembeault on his progress this season
Montembeault has registered a 7-18-6 record in 37 appearances during his first full NHL campaign, along with a 3.79 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage.
He wasn't necessarily supposed to see that much action, but the injury situations with both Price and Jake Allen afforded him a huge opportunity between the pipes.
"I'm most proud of my progress. I worked really hard to improve. I got my first shutout at the Bell Centre, which was also a really nice moment. My first win was a nice moment, too. I was just happy with my progress," explained Montembeault. "There's still a lot of room for improvement this summer for next season, but I'm happy with the direction things are heading."
Anderson is certainly in agreement there.
He's a big "Monty" fan.
"I feel like in the second half of the year, he's been playing phenomenal. He keeps us in every single game. You've seen all those games where it's either a one-goal game or some of the games where we couldn't even be in it, and he's kept us in those games," noted Anderson. "He's been really consistent and he's been playing great. Obviously, he's been put in a tough position this year, but I think for a young goaltender, the more games you get, the more confidence you have. I think he's feeling comfortable, like he belongs, too."
Video: Josh Anderson on Sam Montembeault's play this year
No doubt Price has played a key role in helping Montembeault of late.
The former third-round selection of the Florida Panthers appreciates the veteran's incredible support.
"He's always very supportive of me. In practice, everytime I make a nice save, he's always banging his stick," noted Montembeault. "He also came by me when I went to the bench when he was backing me up that game [against Washington], too. It wasn't a very nice score, obviously. I gave up eight goals. But, everytime I would go over on a TV timeout, he would support me and he'd tell me to keep battling. He's just a really nice guy."
