“Ça va?”
That’s how Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes addressed the gang on the Bell Centre Tuesday evening in an on-ice interview with RDS’s Marc Denis after making 41 saves in a 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes and being named the primary star.
The group roared its approval and Dobes then added: “You guys gave us such a momentum once we scored the second and third objective and after we had been simply buzzing for you guys. Thanks.”
The Canadiens — and their followers — ought to thank the 24-year-old rookie goalie.
With Tuesday’s win Dobes improved his season document to 23-8-4 with a 2.88 goals-against common and an .896 save proportion. His 23 wins match the whole Patrick Roy had in his rookie season with the Canadiens in 1985-86 and are one lower than Carey Worth had as a rookie with the Canadiens in 2007-08.
In his final 18 video games courting again to Dec. 14, Dobes has a 13-3-2 document with a 2.64 GAA and a .904 save proportion.
Ça va très bien.
Teammate Cole Caufield, who scored his forty fourth objective of the season in opposition to the Hurricanes, likes the combination of confidence and swagger Dobes has. The goalie confirmed that along with his “Ça va?” remark. Dobes additionally confirmed it late within the recreation — with the Canadiens main 4-2 — when he made a save after which seemed on the open internet on the different finish of the ice and considered attempting to attain himself.
“I used to be just a little nervous there,” defenceman Noah Dobson stated. “I used to be proper in entrance of him. However I believe there’s a time and place. I believe they’d like three guys in the midst of the ice — (Jordan) Staal and a few large guys — so it might have been robust. Trusted his instincts and made the appropriate play.”
Dobes coated up the puck, however don’t be shocked if he seems to attain an empty-net objective once more sooner or later.
“I believe we had been yelling from the bench: ‘Shoot it!’” stated Juraj Slafkovsky, who scored his twenty eighth objective of the season in opposition to the Hurricanes. “Would possibly as properly, no?
“I hope for him (he finally scores),” Slafkovsky added. “I’ll cross it to him so he can go for it.”
Ça va, Montréal? ❤️#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/e3Q6rd0G1h
— RDS (@RDSca) March 25, 2026
Dobes has earned the arrogance of his teammates and head coach Martin St. Louis. He needs to be the Canadiens’ No. 1 goalie now.
“I really feel like for Dobes he’s simply been attempting to get that chair,” St. Louis stated. “Steal a chair … get that chair. And I believe that’s an every single day factor. When you cease worrying about that, that’s normally when someone steals your chair. So it’s an every single day factor. I believe he’s progressed tremendously and he’s studying the right way to be a professional on this league and the way aggressive it’s.
“He’s doing properly.”
Very properly.
In opposition to the Hurricanes, Dobes coated up what needs to be a giant concern for the Canadiens as they proceed on their drive to earn a playoff spot for the second consecutive season within the very tight Jap Convention with 12 video games left.
41 ARRÊTS 🛑 41 SAVES#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/J9Un6N09K3
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 25, 2026
The Hurricanes are a veteran crew with a mean age of 29.9 in comparison with the Canadiens’ common of 26.3. The Hurricanes have made the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons and completely dominated the primary interval Tuesday evening, taking a 2-0 lead and outshooting the Canadiens 11-2 earlier than Oliver Kapanen scored on Montreal’s third shot with 7:59 left within the interval.
With out Dobes, the Hurricanes may have been main 5-0 and I used to be pondering that is what may occur to the Canadiens within the playoffs in opposition to a veteran crew. The Hurricanes outshot the Canadiens 16-4 within the first interval.
“Now we have to study that we are able to’t go to sleep at first,” Slafkovsky stated. “Our execution needs to be on the highest degree in opposition to a crew like that after which now we have to verify we get pucks deep.”
The Canadiens began to do this within the second interval and took a 3-2 lead.
“We began to play our greatest recreation, so then we make them defend and don’t give them as a lot time, just about what they had been doing to us,” Slafkovsky stated.
The Canadiens now have 24 comeback wins this season, matching probably the most in franchise historical past. Additionally they had 24 in 1975-76 and 1992-93 and received the Stanley Cup in each of these seasons.
Voyez la routine de Jakub Dobes lors de 3 pauses commerciales différentes mardiWatch Jakub Dobes’ routine throughout 3 totally different TV timeouts on Tuesday evening#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/aJ2iYGpBsO
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 25, 2026
“I believe it simply exhibits how good of a gaggle we’re,” Slafkovsky stated. “How we combat for one another and we’re all the time there regardless of if we’re up or down.”
The Canadiens can rating targets — they rank third within the NHL in offence, averaging 3.53 targets per recreation. However comeback wins are more durable within the playoffs — when it’s tougher to outscore your defensive issues — and the Canadiens want to comprehend that. They will’t afford to start out video games like they did Tuesday evening.
A take a look at the Jap Convention standings after the Canadiens beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 final evening on the Bell Centre #Habs: pic.twitter.com/HPYQnj6uMM
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) March 25, 2026
“I’ve stated it for some time now, I believe once we’re on prime of our recreation and enjoying with particulars and executing the best way we have to play to have success, we are able to play with anybody — we are able to beat anybody,” Dobson stated. “We really feel that means and it’s simply having the mindset of 1 recreation at a time right here.”
The Canadiens will likely be again in motion Thursday on the Bell Centre in opposition to the Columbus Blue Jackets
(7 p.m., TSN2, RDS).
Dobes needs to be the beginning goalie.
scowan@postmedia.com
x.com/StuCowan1
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