Jake Allen says he’s never had to share the net with two other goalies in the NHL, but everything indicates he’ll have to get used to it, if he hasn’t already.

Here we are at Christmas, or almost, and the Canadian is still there, asking three goalkeepers to share the task in front of goal.

With the transaction rumors that have circulated since the start of the season, at the center of which Allen’s name was often found, one would have thought that the matter of the three goalkeepers would be resolved around this date.

But no, nothing has been resolved. Which doesn’t seem to bother the veteran too much.

“It’s not more difficult than it was,” Allen explained Friday afternoon in Brossard. It’s a question I’m often asked, as it is asked of Cayden [Primeau]. But it’s the same situation; there are three guards here. Sam [Montembeault] played very well, and he deserved the last two starts. Me, I’m waiting for my chance. »

This opportunity will not come this Saturday in Buffalo, since it is Primeau who will be in front of the net against the Sabres. According to the principle of rotation already established, Allen would therefore obtain the following start, that of Sunday evening at the Bell Center against the Nashville Predators, which has not yet been confirmed.

While waiting for his next opportunity, Allen must find his bearings, having had a superb month of October, with a record of 3-0-1, an average of 2.63 and an efficiency rate of .930.

Since then, it has been a bit more difficult, and he has escaped his last six starts, without having been able to taste victory since October 28. Most goalkeepers believe that it takes games to get out of a bad situation, but Jake Allen does not have that luxury, nor does Primeau, who will try to recover this Saturday after a very bad evening of five goals against to the Florida Panthers.

“We don’t play often, but that shouldn’t be an excuse,” Jake Allen added. We have to be ready to go on the ice when it’s our turn; there are attackers or defenders who sometimes go seven to ten games without playing. It happens, it’s not a drama […] We always want to get back in front of the net as quickly as possible, but there are two other guys here who deserve to play too. »

Either way, according to Allen, it shouldn’t be surprising to see more and more teams employing a three-goalie system in the future.

“I think it will gradually become the norm… There are, what, five teams that started the season with three goalies? Because of the nature of the position, I wouldn’t be surprised if that number eventually increased to eight teams. Not everyone is banking on a [Andrei] Vasilevskiy or a [Igor] Shesterkin who can play 65 games a year. »