About Last Night: Have the Canadiens checked out?

Goalie Sam Montembeault made 47 saves on 50 shots in a 3-0 loss to the Hurricanes.

Goalie Sam Montembeault made 47 saves on 50 shots in a 3-0 shutout loss for the Canadiens against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Bell Centre on Saturday.

The lopsided shot counter says it all: the lifeless Habs were hopelessly hemmed in their own zone most of the night. At 50-14 in shots, it was the worst shot differential ever for the Habs in a home game.

They were missing rookie spark plug Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, who was out because of minor injuries. Joel Armia came back in after missing 19 games with an upper respiratory infection. Armia played 10:44 in his return. David Savard missed his second game in a row, and after the team announced his season is over with a knee injury.

Harvey-Pinard is still a fresh face on this club, but his contributions on offence have not gone unnoticed.

Brady Skjei got things going for the Canes in the first. He fanned on his first attempt from the point, but Montreal let him walk in and take a second chance, which he succeeded on — 1-0 Canes after a dominant first where they outshot Montreal 18-5.

The Canes outshot the Habs in the second period by the same amount, only this time they pulled away with two more goals. Brent Burns fired the initial shot and Paul Stastny got the deflection to beat Montembeault for a 2-0 lead just past the midway point of the period.

Before the end of one Carolina power play and with a delayed call on Montreal pending, Sebastian Aho scored on a one-timer to make it 3-0 Canes.

After getting hit by the puck from a teammate’s shot in first, Jake Evans was even more unlucky in the third when he took a flying stick to the face. He left down the tunnel for a spell, but did return to the game. Sean Farrell drew a penalty in the third period and hasn’t looked out of place in his brief audition. The Canadiens failed to hit the scoresheet for the first time since Jan. 28 against the Senators.

Without Montembeault, this game could’ve gotten really ugly. He’ll be back next season, likely in some sort of tandem with Jake Allen and Cayden Primeau, although the Liveblog commenters still wonder if general manager Kent Hughes could swing big for a young goalie this offseason. Another decision looming for Hughes: Harvey-Pinard’s next contract. Hughes could offer a modest bridge deal to the pending restricted free agent, or he could assume some risk and buy into the rookie’s strong start by locking him up for a longer period of time. It wouldn’t cost an arm and leg either way, so maybe it’s a risk worth taking?

Lots of love from the commenters for Emil Heineman, now up to six goals in six games in Laval since coming over from Sweden. With young players like Farrell, Harvey-Pinard and Heineman knocking at the door, will the Canadiens run it back next season with veterans still under contract such as Mike Hoffman and Armia, or will they do whatever they can to keep the youth movement chugging along?

3. “Montembeault is the only reason the score wasn’t 10-0” -Ryan Katz

2. “Not sold on another year of Allen/Monty tandem. How about we get rid of Allen and go after Tristan Jerry of Pittsburg as a UFA. .Monty and him can tandem for a few years until our young prospects get some professional experience.” -Bob Taylor

1. “How is it possible for the Canadians to fire so few shots every game? The goalies are not the problem on this team. It’s the number of shots the goalies have to face every game.” -Dick Labete

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