Martin St-Louis still hasn’t tipped his hand on the Canadiens’ goaltending plan for Saturday night’s meeting with Buffalo at the Bell Centre, keeping the choice between Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes very much alive.
What the head coach did confirm is that Dobes turned in a strong practice. He said the decision is still being worked through with goaltending coach Marco Marciano, and he framed it as one of those season-long judgment calls that has to account for both the team’s needs and the player involved.
“I don't know yet. Those are discussions we're having.
We're having discussions with the goalie coach, Marco (Marciano). It's a balancing act over the course of a season.
You have to make the best decision for the team, but also for the player.
According to Patrick Guillet, Dobes was solid in practice without necessarily standing out in a flashy way. He looked calm in the crease, kept his game straightforward, and seemed to be in good spirits with teammates afterward.
That kind of response matters after a rough stretch. Dobes has an .842 save percentage in four starts this season, including Wednesday’s outing in Washington, where he allowed five goals and owned the loss afterward.
Fowler’s case is cleaner on the numbers. In three appearances, he has posted a .906 save percentage and picked up two shootout wins. On paper, that gives him the edge, even if the sample remains small.
That’s what makes this such a tricky call for St-Louis. A Fowler start would reward the stronger current performance, while another night on the bench for Dobes could weigh further on a young goalie’s confidence.
The opponent adds another layer. Buffalo is giving up 3.7 goals per game and is dealing with injuries on defense, including the absence of Rasmus Dahlin.
So the matchup is there for Montreal to attack. The only question now is which goalie gets the net.
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