Samuel Montembeault sits out Canadiens morning practice for personal reasons but plans a quick return. These off-ice matters hit goalies hard in a crease battle as fierce as Montreal's this season. Front office watches closely, knowing every rep shapes the tandem heading into crunch time.

Samuel Montembeault skips Canadiens practice in Brossard this morning, leaving the door open for a new goalie to grab some reps. Habs brass stays tight-lipped on the reason, but you know how these goalie rotations heat up fast in Montreal. With the crease crowded between Montembeault, Dobes and others fighting for starts, every session counts toward who earns Hughes' trust before the deadline push.

Brendan Gallagher and his wife Emma Fortin drop the happy news that they're adding another kid to the clan, making it a family of four before long. The Canadiens winger, who's grinding through a tough season with 19 points in 57 games, joins a wave of Habs dads-to-be including Noah Dobson, Nick Suzuki, and Samuel Montembeault.

Jacob Fowler tears it up in Laval with an 8-2 stretch, .910 save percentage, and goalie shutdowns that have Habs brass rethinking their netminder logjam. Montembeault's inconsistency leaves the door wide open for this kid to force a roster reckoning before the trade deadline. With just three games post-Olympic break, GM Kent Hughes faces a pivotal call on clearing space for the future.