The Montreal Canadiens announced that veteran netminder Jake Allen will be out of the lineup for eight weeks. The injury was sustained on January 12 against the Boston Bruins. The 31-year-old has appeared in 24 games for the Canadiens this season, owning a record of 5-16-2 with two shutouts.
Jake Allen Out Eight Weeks with Injury
Goaltender Jake Allen will be out for eight weeks due to a lower-body injury.https://t.co/pyERlZWNjb
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 21, 2022
The Canadiens have had a tough season compared to their Stanley Cup Final appearance last season. The team currently sits last in the Atlantic Division and is now down one of their NHL goalies. Allen is currently in his ninth NHL season. Prior to his time in Montreal, the 31-year-old played for the St. Louis Blues, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2019. The Fredericton, New Brunswick native was the 34 overall pick in the 2008 draft. He made his NHL debut at 22 years old during the 2012-13 season and posted a .905 save percentage and a 2.46 goals-against-average in his 15 appearances that season. Allen was acquired following his Stanley Cup victory by Montreal along with a seventh-round pick of St. Louis’.
What This Means for the Future
The absence of Jake Allen in the lineup means that the play between the pipes rests on the inexperienced shoulders of Cayden Primeau and Sam Montembeault. The Canadiens aren’t in a spot where they are in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, so having two younger goalies in net will be a good development opportunity for the organization as a whole. Primeau has only appeared in 10 NHL games throughout his career. Montembeault has a little more experience having appeared in 41 games in his career. This is a great opportunity for both of them to step up and prove that they can be the future of Montreal’s goaltending once the Carey Price era ends for them. The Canadiens next game is in Colorado on January 22.
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