Montembeault allowed three goals on 12 shots in relief Tuesday in a 6-1 loss to the Lightning.

Neither Montembeault nor starter Jakub Dobes has been good through November and into December, and the Habs have slipped out of a wild-card spot. Montembeault is 5-6-1 with a 3.65 GAA and an .857 save percentage in 13 starts (15 appearances). Bench him until he rights the proverbial ship.

Dobes allowed three goals on 14 shots Tuesday before he was replaced after the first period. The game finished 6-1in favor of Tampa Bay, and he took the loss.

It was the third star of October's fourth start in a row (2-2-0). Sam Montembeault allowed three goals on 12 shots in relief. Dobes has come down from that hot start to the season, and the Canadiens have slipped out of a wild-card spot. How much has he struggled? Dobes was 6-0-0 to start the season, and he made 159 saves, giving up just 12 goals (.930 save percentage). Heading into Tuesday night, he was 4-4-1 with an .865 save percentage with 31 goals allowed (230 shots). However, Montenbeault has been worse (5-6-1 with a 3.61 GAA and an .861 save percentage heading into Tuesday). You need to park both men for now. Yikes.

DeSmith stopped 30 of 33 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Jets.

The Stars scored all four of their goals within the first five minutes of periods, but the Jets put up a good effort to battle back. DeSmith was able to fend them off in the end, and while he allowed three goals for the second start in a row, he's now won three of his last four outings. For the season, the 34-year-old is at a 7-1-3 record with a 2.23 GAA and a .920 save percentage over 11 starts. He won't displace Jake Oettinger from the No. 1 job when both are healthy, but DeSmith has been one of the more reliable backup netminders in the NHL this season. Look for Oettinger to get the nod Thursday in Minnesota.

Johansson made 26 saves Tuesday in a 6-1 win over the Canadiens.

It was his fourth straight start and first win in that span while Andrei Vasilevskiy (undisclosed) is out. This time, his mates actually scored to help him out. The Bolts had failed to tap the keg for 130:43. Johansson will remain in the blue paint until Vasy returns, and the former is a solid play as long as his team shows up. He's 6-5-0 with a 2.53 GAA and .907 save percentage overall in 11 starts.

Ellis (upper body) won't return to Tuesday's game versus the Oilers.

Ellis drew a penalty in the first period on a collision in the crease. The Sabres cashed in on the power play, but Ellis left after the goal before being ruled out during the second period. Should he miss additional time, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon will handle the goaltending duties.

Saros will guard the home goal versus the Avalanche on Tuesday.

Saros' three-game winning streak came to an end Saturday when he allowed six goals on 38 shots versus the Hurricanes. Tuesday's matchup is even tougher, as the Avalanche boast the NHL's top offense and also best defense, which could make it difficult for the Predators to give Saros any scoring support.

Ellis will guard the road goal versus the Oilers on Tuesday, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports.

Ellis will get a chance in goal after giving up five goals on 35 shots in his last outing Wednesday versus the Flyers to begin the Sabres' road trip. He'll have an extremely tough task ahead, as the Oilers have erupted for 19 goals over their last four games. Ellis did defeat Edmonton on Nov. 17, stopping 32 of 33 shots in that 5-1 win for Buffalo.

Dostal (upper body) is traveling with the Ducks on their five-game road trip, which began Tuesday in Pittsburgh, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports.

Dostal also participated in Tuesday's morning skate, indicating his return could be getting closer. A clearer timeline for Dostal's return could be provided by the team, but his activation from injured reserve at some point during the trip would be the clearest indication of his readiness.

Husso will start in goal on the road versus the Penguins on Tuesday, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports.

Husso continues to see heavy usage while the Ducks' two primary netminders are both out. The 30-year-old won his last start, stopping 19 of 20 shots Sunday versus the Blackhawks. The Penguins have racked up 21 goals over their last six games but are without Evgeni Malkin (upper body).

Johansson will guard the road goal versus the Canadiens on Tuesday, Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com reports.

Johansson will start both halves of a road back-to-back. He stopped 22 of 23 shots versus the Maple Leafs in a 2-0 loss Monday, and that light workload was likely part of the factor in the Lightning going back to Johansson a day later rather than Brandon Halverson. The Canadiens have scored just 15 goals over their last six games with a 3-3-0 record in that span.