Hockey is the ultimate team sport, but it still features one position that can impact results more than most, as evidenced by Montreal Canadiens netminder Jakub Dobes.

The Canadiens are currently sitting pretty in the standings due to several factors, however, we’d be remiss if we did not shed some light on Dobes’ excellent performance since the start of the season.

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Jakub Dobes Statistics

6.1 – Dobes has saved 6.1 goals above average at 5v5, the second-best result among all NHL goaltenders. In other words, despite having played only seven games, there’s a very strong argument to be made that he’s been the team’s most valuable player in a season that has featured a slew of notable improvements.

.889 – Not all shots are created equal. A team tends to thrive when a goaltender can make crucial saves on high-quality scoring chances. That’s exactly what Dobes has done this year, stopping 32 of the 34 quality scoring chance sent his way, making him a top-10 NHL netminder in that regard.

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.950 – While mitigating high-danger chances is important, the best goaltenders in the league also thrive when it comes to making saves on the most common shots. Dobes has stopped 134 of the 141 shots he has faced at 5v5, which is once again the second-best result in the NHL.

18.6 – To beat Dobes, you have to force your way to the crease. As it stands, the average scoring distance against Dobes is just 18.6 feet, a top-10 result among NHL goaltenders. The distance between the crease and the blue line is 64 feet, therefore, the average scoring distance is less than one third of the defensive zone, without counting the area behind the net. Essentially, if you haven’t reached the faceoff hash marks, you probably won’t fool the 24-year-old goalie.

4.6 – At the risk of muddying the waters a little, when we evaluate Dobes’ work in all situations, including the penalty kill and 3v3, he still owns a top-10 goals saved above average (4.6 GSAA).

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Simply put, Jakub Dobes hasn’t just been the driving force behind Montreal’s success, he’s been one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, full stop.

All Jakub Dobes statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.

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