Empty-Net Lab · Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens Goalie Pull Tracker
When the Canadiens pull the goalie down one and down two, how that compares with the rest of the league and with past coaches, what happens while the net is empty at both ends, and who is on the ice for it.
When the Canadiens pull the goalie, 2025-26
Share of late deficits with the goalie pulled, by time left in the 3rd period
When the Canadiens pull the goalie, 2025-26. MTL down 1: half pulled by 1:51 remaining, 44% pulled with 2:00 left (27 trailing spells); MTL down 2: half pulled by 3:41 remaining, 100% pulled with 2:00 left (17 trailing spells); NHL down 1: half pulled by 2:00 remaining, 51% pulled with 2:00 left (831 trailing spells).
Canadiens goalie pulls by coach
| Coach | Seasons | Median pull, down 1 | Pulled by 2:00 | Median pull, down 2 | Tied it, down 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin St. Louis | 2021-22 to 2026-27 | 1:49 (120) | 34% | 2:46 (101) | 12 / 68 |
| Dominique Ducharme | 2020-21 to 2021-22 | 1:51 (26) | 32% | 3:12 (24) | 4 / 17 |
| Claude Julien | 2017-18 to 2020-21 | 1:50 (78) | 29% | 2:28 (69) | 6 / 46 |
Regular season since 2017-18, every club of the franchise. In brackets: late deficits behind the median; coaches with fewer than 10 are a small sample.
Canadiens season by season
| Season | Median pull, down 1 | Median pull, down 2 | 6v5 time | GF pulled | ENG against | ENG for | GA vs extra attacker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 0:51 (1) | 3:30 (1) | 2:29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | 1:51 (27) | 3:41 (17) | 42:39 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 11 |
| 2024-25 | 2:07 (27) | 2:40 (23) | 40:51 | 2 | 14 | 15 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | 1:43 (22) | 2:20 (20) | 36:45 | 5 | 14 | 7 | 10 |
| 2022-23 | 1:39 (30) | 2:03 (26) | 44:50 | 6 | 19 | 7 | 4 |
| 2021-22 | 1:22 (24) | 3:16 (26) | 37:17 | 5 | 19 | 11 | 7 |
| 2020-21 | 1:50 (20) | 3:12 (18) | 22:46 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 4 |
| 2019-20 | 1:58 (29) | 2:32 (22) | 44:23 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 8 |
| 2018-19 | 1:36 (18) | 2:51 (13) | 35:47 | 1 | 9 | 14 | 2 |
| 2017-18 | 1:49 (26) | 2:27 (28) | 39:21 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 5 |
Who is on the ice for the Canadiens, 2025-26
Extra attacker (6-on-5)
- Nick Suzuki39:29 · 93%
- Cole Caufield38:51 · 91%
- Juraj Slafkovský38:51 · 91%
- Lane Hutson37:12 · 87%
- Ivan Demidov36:27 · 85%
- Noah Dobson25:46 · 66%
- Phillip Danault7:42 · 30%
- Zachary Bolduc6:02 · 15%
Empty-net defense
- Mike Matheson45:10 · 78%
- Jake Evans31:49 · 59%
- Nick Suzuki28:24 · 47%
- Josh Anderson27:40 · 49%
- Noah Dobson27:37 · 48%
- Juraj Slafkovský24:07 · 40%
- Alexandre Carrier22:21 · 42%
- Phillip Danault20:23 · 59%
Empty-net goals
- Jake Evans4 G, 1 A
- Nick Suzuki3 G, 2 A
- Josh Anderson2 G, 1 A
- Juraj Slafkovský2 G, 0 A
- Mike Matheson1 G, 2 A
- Lane Hutson1 G, 1 A
- Oliver Kapanen1 G, 1 A
- Phillip Danault1 G, 0 A
% = share of the team's time in that situation in the games the player dressed. Empty-net defense time is where empty-net goals come from.
Recent Canadiens goalie pulls
| Date | Opponent | Down | Pulled with | Time pulled | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3 | PIT | 2 | 3:30 | 2:22 | Scored |
| Oct 3 | PIT | 1 | 0:51 | 0:07 | Scored |
| Apr 14 | PHI | 2 | 3:48 | 3:48 | No goal |
| Apr 7 | FLA | 1 | 2:01 | 1:23 | Scored |
| Apr 5 | NJD | 2 | 3:34 | 0:09 | Empty-net goal against |
| Apr 5 | NJD | 3+ | 3:12 | 2:18 | No goal |
| Mar 19 | DET | 1 | 1:52 | 1:35 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 15 | ANA | 1 | 1:51 | 1:51 | No goal |
| Mar 14 | SJS | 1 | 2:46 | 0:43 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 14 | SJS | 2 | 1:48 | 1:48 | No goal |
| Mar 3 | SJS | 1 | 2:01 | 1:57 | Empty-net goal against |
| Jan 24 | BOS | 1 | 2:36 | 2:36 | No goal |
FAQ
When do the Canadiens pull their goalie?
In 2025-26 under Martin St. Louis, the Montreal Canadiens had pulled their goalie in half of their late one-goal deficits with 1:51 left in the 3rd period, and in 44% with 2:00 or more left (27 games trailing by one in the last 10 minutes).
How many empty-net goals have the Canadiens allowed?
With their goalie pulled in 2025-26, the Montreal Canadiens scored 7 and allowed 12 empty-net goals in 42:39 of 6-on-5 time. Defending an empty net, they scored 15 empty-net goals and allowed 11 goals to the extra attacker.
How is goalie pull time measured?
From the NHL shift charts: the first moment in a deficit when the team had no goalie on the ice, excluding delayed penalties. The curve counts every late deficit, including ones erased before a pull, so it is not biased toward long deficits.