Budaj allowed three goals on 22 shots in Thursday's loss to host Montreal.

EDGE Analysis

Budaj has been one of the best stories in hockey, as he's fashioned a shiny 1.96 GAA in 12 games, despite being the third netminder to dress for the Kings this season after starting goalie Jonathan Quick and primary backup Jeff Zatkoff sustained groin injuries earlier in the campaign. Budaj's loss to the Habs, winners of nine straight home contests, likely isn't enough to have him relegated to a backup role now that Zatkoff reportedly is healthy. After all, Budaj worked for two consecutive shutouts before this latest loss.