The Montreal Canadiens are returning from a four-game road trip with four straight road wins and a big reason for their success has been goalie Jacob Fowler. While Jakub Dobes started their last road game in Dallas, a 5-2 win over the Stars, Fowler started the first three games of the road trip going 3-0 and allowing only two goals.
On the season, Jacob Fowler is 6-1 with a save percentage of .942 and a goals against average of 1.54, with two shutouts already. According to MoneyPuck, Fowler is currently leading the NHL in Goals Saved Above Expected at 10.1, and 1.4 goals above Minnesota Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt, who is second in the league at 8.3.
While the rest of the league may finally be realizing just how good Fowler is, this isn't really news to anyone who has watched his career to this point. In fact, a prediction from almost three years ago on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast has recently resurfaced that doesn't seem so wild now after the way he started this season.
Jacob Fowler is good enough to be in discussion with some all-time greats if he continues playing at this level.
Back in January 2024, Ryan Whitney on Spittin' Chiclets compared Fowler to one of the greatest goalies ever in the NHL in Dominik Hasek. "He's got to be one of the best goalies I've ever seen in college. I'm talking lights-out saves time after time, including two on ones," Whitney said. "I am telling you Montreal Canadiens fans, he is unbelievable. It's like Dominik Hasek in net."
Fowler spent two seasons at Boston College, playing in 74 games and had a 57-13-3 record with a save percentage of .932 and a goals against average of 1.90 with 10 shutouts over this stretch.
The way that Fowler has begun his NHL career, he already looks like the goalie of the future and has passed Dobes on the depth chart. The Canadiens called Fowler up after Samuel Montembeault suffered an injury in practice, and the young goalie has played so well that it seems almost impossible they would be willing to send him back to Laval.
This might mean that they need to carry three goalies for a period once Montembeault is ready to return. It isn't ideal, but the Canadiens best chance at winning games right now is with Fowler in net, and until that changes, he should remain the starter.
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