Martin St-Louis appears to have made his first call ahead of Montreal’s matchup with Boston, and the practice setup pointed straight toward Jakub Dobes.
Dobes took on the bulk of the work during drills on Wednesday as the Canadiens got ready for the Bruins, a strong sign that St-Louis is leaning toward giving him the net in Boston tomorrow. That would fit the moment for Dobes, who has not played since last Thursday and looks ready for another turn.
Samuel Montembeault was back on the ice as well, though he skated as the third goalie and restored Montreal’s three-goalie setup. He remains on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and is not expected back before November 12.
His return to practice also lands against a backdrop of trade chatter, with Darren Dreger previously reporting that teams had reached out to the Canadiens about his availability.
Dobes has started seven games this season, and the way practice unfolded suggests he is the likeliest choice against Boston. Jacob Fowler, for his part, stopped 22 of 24 shots in Tuesday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild. He wasn’t at fault for that result, but a night off would make sense.
Montreal goes into Boston with an 11-3-4 record and a 10-game run without a regulation loss. The assignment, though, is a stiff one. The Bruins sit atop the Atlantic Division at 13-4-1, are riding a four-game winning streak and have been excellent at home with an 8-1-0 mark.
If Dobes gets the start, he’ll be stepping into a tough road test against a Bruins team that has been especially sharp in its own building. Montembeault’s presence back at practice only adds another layer to Montreal’s crease picture, leaving the Canadiens with three healthy options and more goaltending questions to sort through moving forward.
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