My tackle the Canadiens’ goaltending controversy is straightforward — go along with the recent goalie and, proper now, that may be Jakub Dobes.
Martin St. Louis shouldn’t overthink it.
The 6-foot-4 netminder from Czechia with unorthodox strikes is getting you the wins. So keep on with him. Dobes is 3-0 this season and, as of Tuesday afternoon, was second within the NHL with a save proportion of .939 and third in goals-against common (1.63).
Samuel Montembeault, who got here into the season because the Habs’ No. 1 goalie, is fiftieth in save proportion (.857) and forty first in GAA (3.26). These are brutal stats.
In fact, it’s early within the season. Dobes has solely performed three video games, Monty 4. However nonetheless, Dobes has been nice and Montembeault has been simply okay to mediocre.
I’m not suggesting this can be a everlasting state of affairs. Perhaps Montembeault is simply off to a sluggish begin and can return to final season’s type. All good. When that occurs, he can win again the No. 1 job. However why cross on the dude who can provide the win?
Dobes is a gamer and has been since he made his debut between the pipes final season, netting a shutout in his first sport with a 34-save efficiency towards the Panthers in Florida. He isn’t probably the most swish of goalies, to place it mildly, however he someway stops the puck from attending to the again of the web.
It was telling that after the
superior objective scored by Cole Caufield
with three seconds left in extra time to clinch the dramatic comeback win towards the Nashville Predators on Thursday, Caufield instantly raced the size of the ice to offer Dobes a giant hug. That’s partly as a result of he made an unbelievable glove save off of Filip Forsberg on a two-on-none breakaway in OT, but it surely additionally reveals how a lot his teammates respect him.
And he’s quickly develop into a favorite with followers, because the Doby, Doby, Doby chants rang out throughout the Bell Centre for a lot of the late going within the group’s 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres Monday.
Montembeault’s drawback is one thing that has plagued him for the reason that starting of his tenure with Montreal — he allows utterly stoppable photographs from the blue line. I bear in mind arguing with a hockey journalist on social media final season, suggesting I had my doubts about Monty. The author countered my level, saying Montembeault’s superior statistics have been stellar. I mentioned: “Honest sufficient, however he fails the attention check.”
And he failed that eye check once more Saturday night time, when he let in three objectives on six photographs within the third interval, shedding the sport towards the New York Rangers nearly single-handedly. Montreal got here into the third up 2-1 and left the sport down 4-3. Simply not adequate.
Earlier within the week, coach St. Louis mentioned of the goalie state of affairs that inside competitors is an effective factor, and it’s. That competitors solely will get hotter if you notice there’s a fellow named Jacob Fowler simply up Freeway 15,
taking part in some unbelievable hockey with the Laval Rocket.
So, yeah, competitors is nice. It could possibly solely assist the group.
It’s exhausting to not assume again to the 2009-10 season, when one other backup goalie from the identical a part of the world as Dobes — Slovakian netminder Jaroslav Halak — stole the highest job from a younger Carey Value. Halak went on to supply followers with one of many biggest runs in Twenty first-century Canadiens historical past, stoning the Washington Capitals after which the Pittsburgh Penguins to tug that Habs group into the convention last.
Over at McLean’s Pub, a.ok.a. Habs Central, on Monday earlier than the Sabres sport, opinion was cut up on what the kindly ol’ coach ought to do concerning his goalies.
Danny Venditti thinks they need to go along with Dobes.
“I by no means preferred Montembeault,” mentioned Venditti. “I don’t belief him. He’s inconsistent. He can have a very nice sport or a very dangerous sport. We’re all ready for Fowler. I all the time thought Montembeault needs to be right here within the meantime. However I do consider the group performs higher in entrance of Dobes. They really feel extra assured. Dobes appears to be extra aggressive in entrance of the web.”
Harry Aggrey-Fynn is with Crew Monty.
“I believe Montembeault is our No. 1,” mentioned Aggrey-Fynn. “He’s all the time been a sluggish burner, however as soon as he will get into the season, he’ll be again on his stream. Truthfully, let’s not surrender on him, guys. He’ll be prepared within the subsequent 10 video games.”
Ian Graham, who lives in Belfast and sometimes visits Montreal, turned a Habs fan when he was working for Bombardier right here 12 years in the past. Graham says you go along with Dobes.
Stephanie Carter argues it’s important to again Monty.
“It’s important to let Monty catch his stride,” mentioned Carter. “I really feel he all the time begins sluggish. Doby is doing nice, don’t get me unsuitable. However I believe Monty will pull up his straps and can come by means of for us.”
bkelly@postmedia.com
