Jakub Dobes got the kind of lift every young goalie wants and the kind of ending nobody forgets.
The Bell Centre crowd was fully behind him, giving Dobes a standing ovation as the night rolled along. Not long after, though, he took an overtime penalty that opened the door for San Jose’s game-winning goal in the Montreal Canadiens’ loss to the Sharks.
It was a brutal swing in one game. A big show of faith from the fans, then a mistake that directly fed into the result.
Dobes still had a strong performance overall. He turned aside 26 of the 30 shots he faced and kept Montreal alive until the finish. His season numbers remain rough - a .847 save percentage through five starts - but the crowd’s reaction made one thing clear: it has not turned on him.
The support was obvious throughout the night, and Martin St-Louis showed confidence in him as well. Dobes had already owned the loss in Washington, and this was another one of those nights where a goalie has to absorb the lesson and keep moving.
The moment that stood out, and was not shown on television, came when the building erupted for him after one of his saves. Anthony Martineau put it this way: "How quickly can things change in hockey?
The crowd just started chanting 'DOBY, DOBY' after one of No. 75's saves. At the risk of repeating myself, he's young, and three bad games don't define him.
Neither do three good ones."
Martineau had also noted, "he's young, and three bad games don't define him. Neither do three good ones."
The Canadiens are now 4-3-2, scoring 3.3 goals per game while allowing 3.8. They head to Chicago on Friday to open a four-game road trip against the Blackhawks, and they badly need the two points.
Jacob Fowler stayed on the bench and should get his chance soon. For now, the goaltending conversation in Montreal is very much still open.
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The buzz has centered on goaltender Karel Vejmelka and possible movement involving the Rangers, though the chatter has taken on a wider life of its own. One version circulating among league observers even points to a three-team route that could eventually send Connor Hellebuyck to Utah, but for now it remains the kind of trade speculation that hangs in the air until someone with authority actually confirms it. [Read more 🡒]
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Canadiens Prospect Alexander Zharovsky Just Gave Fans Another Reason To Wait
Alexander Zharovsky is doing exactly what the Canadiens hoped he would do by staying put in the KHL for now: flash real offensive upside while still having room to round out his game. The 19-year-old prospect has already followed up a record-setting rookie season with a start that has been a little uneven, but he has still found ways to impact games for Salavat Yulaev Ufa and remind Montreal why patience remains part of the plan.
His latest showing came in a comeback win over Metallurg Magnitogorsk, where he was a central part of the push back for Ufa. For Canadiens fans, the appeal is obvious. Zharovsky is not being rushed, and the early swings in production are part of the learning curve the organization seems willing to accept before deciding when the next step to North America makes sense. [Read more 🡒]