Jacob Fowler was the difference, and then some, as the Montreal Canadiens kept rolling on Tuesday night with a 2-0 win over the St. Louis Blues.
Short-handed again without Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov, the Canadiens still found a way to keep their road run going. They picked up their third straight road win, and this one was built on a performance from their rookie goalie that bordered on ridiculous.
Fowler stopped all 46 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season and the third shutout of his career. It wasn’t just the number of shots, either.
Plenty of them came from dangerous areas right in front of his crease, and none of it shook him. He turned aside everything the Blues threw at him and left no opening.
Jacob Fowler didn't begin the season with the Montreal Canadiens and only got the chance after Samuel Montembeault suffered an injury in practice. However, he has taken full advantage of that opportunity, as he is undoubtedly the starter for the Canadiens moving forward and doesn't look like he is going to relinquish that role anytime soon.
The scoring was sparse, but Montreal got exactly what it needed from Zachary Bolduc and Florian Xhekaj. Bolduc struck midway through the second period, beating Jordan Binnington after Mike Matheson fed him across the zone and below the faceoff circle. The pass gave Bolduc a clean look, and he buried it.
That goal carried extra meaning for Bolduc against the team that sent him to Montreal in the offseason trade involving Logan Mailloux. It also continued a strong start to his year.
With that goal, he reached five on the season in just his 12th game. Last season, he didn’t get to five until the end of November in his 22nd game.
BOLDY À ST-LOUIS!!! #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/xqbqdg5PVm
- Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 28, 2026
The other goal came from Xhekaj, and it was a milestone moment: his first career NHL goal. He finished the night giving the Canadiens the insurance they needed, even though Fowler had already slammed the door.
That production from the fourth line has become one of the cleaner trends in Montreal’s recent run. Whether it’s been Xhekaj or Owen Beck skating with Kirby Dach and Jake Evans, that group has been driving play. Over the last three games, Natural Stat Trick says that fourth line has created 14 scoring chances at 5-on-5 while giving up only one against.
The bigger picture for the Canadiens is hard to miss, too. This was their third straight win without Suzuki, who is sidelined for two to four weeks with an upper-body injury. It’s the first stretch of Suzuki’s career that he’ll miss, and the Canadiens have responded by keeping leads and finishing games.
That has been the key detail during this streak: Montreal has carried a lead into the third period in all three games and turned each one into a regulation win. Earlier in the season, those kinds of leads had a way of slipping away. Not lately.
The Canadiens still have one more road stop, Thursday night against the Dallas Stars, before heading home for a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
In Other News...
Canadiens Goalie Situation Is Putting New Pressure On Kent Hughes
Jakub Dobes new three-year contract was supposed to provide some stability in a crease that has already demanded plenty of attention, but the early months have only sharpened the questions around Montreals goaltending plan. The Canadiens are juggling three netminders right now, with Samuel Montembeault expected back soon and Jake Allen still part of the picture, which leaves the front office trying to sort out roles while the season is already moving.
For Kent Hughes, the challenge is bigger than just getting through the next stretch of games. The organization has invested in Dobes as part of its longer-term solution, yet the early results have made the situation harder to read and put more pressure on how the Canadiens manage the position from here. With Montembeault nearing a return, the next decision point in goal could become one of the more important ones on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Have Found Their Goalie Of The Future Early
Jacob Fowlers first taste of NHL action has given Montreal plenty to think about. Drafted sixth among goalies in 2023, the Canadiens have handed him the starting job, and the early returns have looked awfully encouraging. Through his first seven games, Fowler has settled in with the kind of poise teams dream on when they take a goalie and wait for him to develop, especially when the rest of the draft class at his position has yet to make much of an NHL mark.
For Montreal, the appeal goes beyond the hot start. Fowler already looks like a possible steal relative to the five goalies selected ahead of him, which only adds to the intrigue around a franchise that has long been searching for stability in net. Still, seven games is seven games, and the Canadiens know enough not to crown anyone too early. Even so, Fowler has given them a glimpse of a future that may have arrived sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets May Have A Bigger Voronkov Decision Than Fans Realize
Dmitri Voronkovs early-season slide in Columbus has quickly turned him from a player the Blue Jackets hoped to lean on into one who is suddenly at the center of trade chatter. The 26-year-old winger still has the kind of size, physical edge and scoring touch that tends to draw interest around the league, which is why clubs such as Montreal, Edmonton, Vegas, Utah and Tampa Bay have all been floated as possible landing spots.
For the Canadiens, the appeal is obvious: Voronkov fits the profile of a big-bodied forward who could add a different look to the group if Columbus decides to move him. The question is whether the Blue Jackets will simply listen, or whether they are ready to make a real decision on a player whose value still comes from what he can be, not just what he has done so far this season. [Read more 🡒]