Martin St. Louis is making a bold call in Montreal’s crease, and it might be reshaping the Canadiens’ goaltending picture faster than anyone expected.
After Jacob Fowler started back-to-back games, St. Louis went right back to him Tuesday night for a third straight appearance - a choice that stands out even more in today’s NHL, where three starts in a row for a goalie has become a rarity.
Jakub Dobes said the right things after Fowler’s second consecutive start, but if this pattern keeps going, St. Louis risks unsettling the goalie who handled the playoff crease for Montreal last season.
Just a week ago, Dobes looked like the clear No. 1 with Sam Montembeault backing him up. Now Fowler appears to be pushing his way into the job early.
The opening was there for St. Louis to turn back to Dobes.
Fowler gave up three goals on 18 shots in his season debut, a performance that would have made a return to the previous starter an easy decision for Saturday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. Instead, Montreal stayed with Fowler, and he answered with a 30-save shutout to earn another look.
Tuesday wasn’t Fowler’s sharpest outing, but the result still counted. A win is a win, and he played a major role in Montreal’s second straight shootout victory.
Even so, the next move is revealing: St. Louis is handing Dobes the net Wednesday night in a difficult road game against the Washington Capitals, in the second half of a back-to-back that includes travel.
That’s a rough assignment, and Dobes could be left exposed against Washington. If that happens, Fowler will almost certainly be viewed as the new starter in Montreal until he gives St. Louis a reason to think otherwise.
For Canadiens fans, this all has a familiar feel. Fowler has been tied to Carey Price comparisons since he became the organization’s top goaltending prospect, and his poise and tools in net haven’t done anything to quiet that conversation. If he does claim the job, the noise around him will only get louder, because the setup would echo the path Price took when he eventually passed Jaroslav Halak after that 2010 playoff run.
Of course, the expectations that come with that kind of comparison are enormous. But there’s a twist here: Montreal looks like a team that could become a powerhouse in the next few seasons. Price spent much of his best years carrying a roster that wasn’t nearly as strong, while Fowler may wind up playing behind a much better group.
If the Canadiens can win a Stanley Cup or two with this core, the debate over where Fowler fits in franchise history could get interesting very quickly. And if St. Louis has his way, that climb may begin sooner than most people figured.
The bigger question right now is whether Montreal is already done with Dobes, or whether last season’s postseason run was just a brief hot streak. Three games barely tells the story, but a 4.43 goals-against average and an .856 save percentage are ugly enough to force the issue.
The real complication is what happens when Montembeault returns. The expectation was that Fowler would head back down, but that no longer feels so simple.
St. Louis can’t keep rolling with Fowler and then just hand the crease back to Dobes as if nothing changed.
For Montreal, this could be a very revealing week.
In Other News...
Canadiens Blue Line Suddenly Puts David Reinbacher In Focus
A thinning blue line has suddenly pushed David Reinbacher into the conversation in Montreal. The Canadiens recalled the young defenseman from the Laval Rocket after Mike Matheson went down injured, leaving the club with only six healthy blueliners as it gets ready for a matchup with the Washington Capitals.
Reinbachers arrival adds intrigue to a situation the Canadiens did not have much time to manage, but his actual role is still unsettled. Montreal has not yet confirmed whether he will make his debut against Washington or where he would slot in if he does, which leaves the club balancing immediate need with a more cautious look at how it wants to deploy him. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Interest In Dylan Larkin Comes Down To One Big Thing
Dylan Larkins situation in Detroit remains one of the more closely watched storylines around the league, and it has obvious appeal for a Canadiens front office still looking for a meaningful swing. He has not rescinded his trade request from the Red Wings and is still interested in being moved this season, while his no-movement clause gives him control over where this goes next. Reports have him open to about ten teams, a group that includes several contenders and a few clubs with clear cap space or roster flexibility.
Montreal has shown serious interest, which makes sense for a team that would love to add a player of Larkins caliber if the opportunity ever materializes. The catch is simple: he is not currently open to playing there, even though the Canadiens are said to be willing to put together a significant offer if that stance changes. For now, it is less a full-blown pursuit than a waiting game, with Montreal keeping tabs on a possibility that may depend on one big shift in Larkins thinking. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Be Fixing The Problem That Hurt Them Most
After a shaky start to the season in one of the areas that had hurt them most, the Canadiens are at least showing signs of a fix on the penalty kill. Against Buffalo, Montreal protected a 3-1 lead long enough to survive a Sabres push and eventually win in a shootout, but the more encouraging part came when the game turned chippy and special teams became a factor.
Montreals penalty killers handled every Buffalo man advantage in the game, and the recent trend now matters as much as the result itself. The Canadiens have strung together a run of successful kills over their last two games, a welcome answer after early-season trouble with power-play goals against had put extra pressure on the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]