Photo credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
We can agree that Saturday night’s victory in Los Angeles largely belongs to Jakub Dobes.
The young goaltender was outstanding in keeping the Canadiens in the game while his teammates were still trying to find their legs early on.
Let’s be honest: the first period was a real beating, with just one small shot for Montreal compared to sixteen for the Kings.
Without Dobes’ repeated saves, the game could have been over before the first intermission.
Even though he allowed a few dangerous rebounds, the netminder always found a way to neutralize the threat. His pad save against Anze Kopitar late in the second period completely changed the momentum of the game.
Let’s be honest: going from a six-goal loss against San Jose to a 35-save performance against the Kings shows character. That’s exactly what you want to see from a young player fighting to prove he can be a number one.
The mission of your goaltender is to give you a chance to win every night, and that’s exactly what he has been doing consistently for the past few months. Dobes is starting to take up space in the locker room, and the defense seems calmer in front of him.
“Dobes: Not perfect tonight-at least one goal he’d probably like to have back-but the mission of your No. 1 goaltender is to give you a chance to win, and that’s exactly what he has been doing consistently for the past few months.” – Cloutier
Despite a goal by Scott Laughton that he would probably like to have back, Dobes shut the door when the pressure became unbearable late in the third period. He held the fort while Slafkovsky and Suzuki handled the comeback.
Dobes establishes himself as the pillar of the rebuild
The big presence in front of the net made his most important save of the game against Adrian Kempe in the final seconds. It’s the kind of performance that builds a team identity and gives confidence to the entire group.
With a 34-18-10 record, the Canadiens can say a big thank you to their goaltender for this 1-1-1 trip in California. They return to Montreal with a sense of a job well done before Tuesday’s big matchup.
It’s simple: if Dobes continues to play with this kind of intensity, the debate in goal will become shorter and shorter. He is earning valuable points in the hearts of the fans, and especially in Martin St-Louis’.
Previously on All Montreal Hockey
POLL
5 HOURS AGO|7 ANSWERS
Jakub Dobes powers Canadiens win vs Kings with 35 saves, strengthening No. 1 goalie case
Is Jakub Dobes officially the Canadiens’ number-one goaltender?