Elite Goalies

Two games into his NHL career, goaltender Al Montoya is drawing rave reviews.

The Coyotes rookie, a late-season call-up, recorded a shutout in his debut and allowed one goal in his next, giving him 43 saves on 44 shots.

“I’m really impressed,” defenseman Ed Jovanovski said. “For a young guy coming in, he’s pretty composed out there. He comes out of the box, which is an added bonus for a defenseman.”

Montoya will be back in goal Saturday night at Staples Center in LA when the Coyotes play the Kings for the second time in three nights. Coach Wayne Gretzky said Montoya deserved another start as his team goes for a season-high fourth consecutive win.

Defenseman Keith Yandle, whose errant pass led to a Kings goal in Thursday night’s 2-1 Coyotes win, felt bad about the play because he believed it cost Montoya his second shutout in a row.

“I looked real quick and thought I had a guy (center Matthew Lombardi), but obviously I didn’t,” he said.

Yandle said Montoya’s efforts are impressive.

“Ever since he got here, he’s working hard in practice working every day,” he said. “He’s the first person on the ice, the last one off. He lets us shoot on him all day. It’s good for the goalie and good for us also.”