A goaltending wrinkle may be brewing for the Canadiens in St. Louis, and it has everything to do with Jakub Dobes.
According to Eric Engels, Jacob Fowler is Montreal’s No. 1 goaltender, but Dobes could still get the nod against the Blues because of his connection to the area. Engels said he wouldn’t be shocked to see Dobes in net, even though Fowler has officially taken over the starting job.
That’s where the conversation gets interesting. Fowler has clearly earned the top spot, and he would also be a logical choice against St.
Louis. But Engels also noted that fans should relax whenever Dobes gets a start - while acknowledging they probably won’t.
The case for giving Dobes a look is easy enough to follow. In a backup role, he should still see between 27 and 33 games, and Montreal wants both goaltenders sharp. At the same time, the numbers tell a blunt story: Dobes has an .847 save percentage in five starts, while Fowler sits at .924 in six games, including one shutout.
Still, a 25-year-old goalie coming out of a rough stretch needs chances to settle in. Martin St. Louis has already put it plainly: handling goaltenders is a season-long balancing act, for the team and for the player.
The matchup itself is not a cakewalk, but it’s not an impossible ask either. St.
Louis is 5-5-1, scoring 3.2 goals per game, and is coming off a 4-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Montreal, meanwhile, is 6-3-2 and has won its last two games.
There’s also the rest of the road trip to consider. The Canadiens play Dallas on Thursday, and Fowler could be back in the crease for that final game after a day off.
Samuel Montembeault is expected to return in about two weeks, which would add a third goaltender to the mix, but that’s a separate chapter for later. For now, Dobes may have a chance to get himself moving in the right direction.
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