Jacob Fowler left Toronto with more than a win. He also walked away with one of the strangest moments a goalie can have in the middle of a game: a fan tossing a green apple in his direction.
The incident came in the second period, and Fowler later explained what he said to the referee after it happened. He wasn’t exactly amused in the moment, but he still managed to turn it into a joke. Fowler asked the official whether a goal would’ve counted on the play, and the referee then handed him the green apple right there on the ice.
Marco D’Amico shared Fowler’s comments, and the goaltender said he can laugh about the whole thing now.
That reaction made for a much better look than the one Fowler gave after Montreal’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Jets, when the Canadiens blew a 4-0 lead and his frustration became a talking point. This time, the result and the performance both worked in his favor.
Fowler stopped 26 of 28 shots against Toronto to get the win, while Sergei Bobrovsky gave up 4 goals on 28 shots at the other end. The hostile setting didn’t shake him, even with fans trying to get a rise out of him.
The 2023 third-round pick, selected 69th overall by Montreal, has now appeared in 10 games this season and 27 in his NHL career. Jean-Charles Lajoie’s recent criticism had added to the attention around him, so this was the kind of answer Fowler needed.
Montreal got plenty of help, too. Alex Newhook scored twice, Chris Kreider scored the winner, and Zachary Bolduc scored on the power play.
The Canadiens now move on to the Wild on Tuesday, with Fowler carrying a win and a bizarre apple story into the next game.
In Other News...
Canadiens Took Control Of Toronto Then Had To Survive A Scare
Montreal looked in command for most of the night against Toronto, skating out to a 3-0 lead and getting a big offensive push from Alex Newhook, who scored twice in the win. For a team that has been trying to stack points and keep building momentum, it was the kind of start that suggested a tidy road victory was there to be had.
Instead, the third period turned into a test of nerve. The Maple Leafs scored twice to make things uncomfortable, but the Canadiens answered with a power-play goal to regain control and then survived a double-minor penalty to close out the 4-2 victory, a finish that was far less routine than the early lead had promised. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Face A Risky Goalie Decision
The Canadiens goaltending picture has become a little murkier at just the wrong time. Samuel Montembeault is on injured reserve and nearing the end of his contract, while Jacob Fowlers recent play has given Montreal another name to weigh in the mix. For Kent Hughes, that means the position is no longer just about getting through the moment, but about deciding how much stability he wants to preserve for the stretch ahead.
Chicagos move with Arvid Soderblom adds another layer to the equation because it can shift the market around Montreals options. The Canadiens have already drawn trade interest in Montembeault, and any change in the available goalie pool could affect how aggressively they move, or whether they hold off and let the situation develop a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Evans Just Reignited A Canadiens Rumor Fans Can't Ignore
Jake Evans managed to stir up a familiar kind of Canadiens chatter this week when he said any player would want to play in Montreal, a comment that immediately sent fans back to the same place they always seem to land when a big-name center becomes available. The idea of Dylan Larkin in a Canadiens sweater has been floating around the edges of the rumor mill for a while, and Evans remark only gave it fresh oxygen as Montreal continues its strong start and keeps looking like a team worth thinking about in bigger-picture terms.
The problem, as always, is that the fit is not nearly as simple as the fantasy. Larkin has asked for a trade, Detroits situation keeps inviting speculation, and the possibility of a multi-team deal is the kind of thing that naturally gets discussed when a player of his stature is involved. But Montreal remains the tricky part of the equation, and until that changes, the Canadiens can enjoy the buzz without assuming it means much more than another round of offseason-style intrigue in the middle of the season. [Read more 🡒]