The Montreal Canadiens needed a spark-and they got one from the crease.
Jakub Dobes delivered his most complete performance of the season Tuesday night, backstopping the Canadiens to a gritty 3-2 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights. It wasn’t just a big win-it was a timely one.
After dropping back-to-back divisional games, Montreal couldn’t afford another slip in the playoff race. And against a Vegas team still smarting from a 7-1 loss to Ottawa, the Habs had their hands full from the opening faceoff.
But Dobes was ready.
A Goalie Steals the Show
With Samuel Montembeault struggling in his last two outings, head coach Martin St. Louis turned to the 24-year-old Czech netminder-and Dobes answered the call in a big way. He stopped 32 of 34 shots, flashing a .941 save percentage and making several high-danger stops that kept the Canadiens in it when Vegas threatened to take over.
And these weren’t your routine saves. Vegas carved up the Habs’ defensive zone on multiple occasions, finding open men on the doorstep with crisp cross-ice passes.
Dobes stood tall each time, including one sequence where he made not one, not two, but three saves in a flurry-initial shot, rebound, second rebound. That’s the kind of goaltending that wins you games, and Dobes was the difference-maker from start to finish.
His composure stood out. At times this season, Dobes has relied more on raw athleticism than refined technique, which can make for some wild moments in the crease.
But Tuesday night, he was dialed in. No overcommitting, no unnecessary scrambles.
Just clean movements, sharp rebound control, and elite puck tracking. It was the kind of performance that makes a coaching staff take notice.
When asked if the win belonged to Dobes, St. Louis kept it team-first, saying, “We owe it to the team, and each player has a role and actions on the ice that influence the result. Dobes influenced the result tonight.”
That’s coach-speak for: our goalie stole us one, and we know it.
A Familiar Breakdown
The game didn’t start perfectly for Montreal, though. Once again, defensive discipline-or the lack of it-came back to bite them early.
On Vegas’ opening goal, a breakdown in defensive responsibility cost the Canadiens. Defenseman Alex Carrier pinched to keep the puck alive in the offensive zone, and instead of covering for him, forward Oliver Kapanen hovered in the high slot, caught watching the play unfold.
That left the back end exposed. Pavel Doroyev took advantage, walking out of the corner and ripping a clean shot past Dobes on the glove side.
It’s a recurring issue for this team. With so many offensively minded defensemen on the roster, there’s a growing need for forwards to recognize when they need to drop back. When that doesn’t happen, the Canadiens pay for it-just like they did here.
Controversy at the Blue Line
The Canadiens thought they had tied the game in the second period when Cole Caufield unleashed a rocket of a slap shot that beat Akira Schmid. But the celebration was short-lived.
Vegas challenged the goal for offside, and after review, it was wiped off the board. The issue?
The zone entry had been offside nearly a full minute earlier-at the 18:47 mark-while the goal came at 17:56. That’s a 51-second gap between the infraction and the goal, and yet, it was enough to overturn it.
It didn’t sit well with St. Louis, who voiced his frustration postgame.
“I think we have the technology now to put things where they should be; it was offside. I’m curious to know how many goals we are losing on offside compared to other teams.”
He’s not wrong about the tech. But the bigger issue here is the rule itself.
If the puck comes out of the zone, the offside is no longer challengeable. But if it stays in-even for a minute-the challenge is fair game.
That creates a gray area where a minor infraction, long since disconnected from the actual scoring play, can still erase a goal.
It’s a tough pill to swallow, especially when the offside didn’t impact the play or give Montreal a tangible advantage. The rule may be technically correct, but it opens the door to situations that don’t feel fair in the spirit of the game.
Clutch in Overtime
Despite the disallowed goal and a missed opportunity on a late power play, the Canadiens didn’t fold. They pushed the game to overtime, where Jake Evans played the hero, scoring the game-winner to give Montreal a much-needed two points.
Caufield and Phillip Danault had the other goals for the Canadiens, with Caufield continuing his red-hot stretch-he’s now scored in six straight games.
It wasn’t a perfect performance, but it was a gutsy one. Montreal bent but didn’t break, and in large part, that was because of the man between the pipes.
What’s Next
The Canadiens are back on the ice Wednesday morning in Brossard as they start prepping for a rematch with the Colorado Avalanche. That game looms large-not just because of the playoff implications, but because the Avs handed Montreal a 7-2 loss back in November. There’s some unfinished business there.
As for Dobes, he’s now unbeaten in regulation in his last seven starts. Whether that earns him another shot on Thursday remains to be seen, but based on what he showed Tuesday night, it’s hard to imagine he hasn’t earned the crease for at least one more game.
The Canadiens needed a response. Dobes gave them one.