Montreal Canadiens fourth-line center Jake Evans has been on a hot streak of late, scoring a goal in four straight games.
Evans has stuck with the Habs because he works his tail off, and does all of the little things that coaches love. A former seventh-round selection in the 2017 NHL Draft, Evans has earned everything the hard way. I am happy he is playing this well, especially in a contract year.
I sincerely hope that he doesn't play himself out of the organization with a price tag that is too high. I think Evans is exactly what a contender needs - he skates hard, competes every shift and he is a nightmare for the opposition on the penalty kill. He isn't going to score piles of goals, generally, but he has separation speed and plays the game responsibly.
What he is doing lately is putting the league on notice, and I can't imagine that Kent Hughes's phone has been silent. I think Evans could demand a solid return, but what he brings to the team is so important. There are plenty of young centers coming through the pipeline, and having a mentor and career Habs as a mentor would be huge for the team.
Jake Evans and shorthanded goals, name a better duo pic.twitter.com/5I621LmKtf
— SleeperNHL (@SleeperNHL) December 28, 2024
I think even for guys that are in the position he was in 2017, he is an example that despite where you're selected the hard work plays a role. If Evans would have just given up, and done nothing in college hockey, he could be done. But instead he battled, and because of that, he is in a position that most only dream of.
You don't need goal scorers and solely skill players to be a competitive teams. The guys who kill penalties and gain momentum for the team are equally important. Evans pay won't reflect that of an elite player, but he will be paid what he is worth.
Dach scores 2 in Dobes shutout debut
Yes, you read that right - Kirby Dach scored two goals, doubling his season total, but he was overshadowed by Jakub Dobes. The man they call Doby was called up to Montreal on Friday and learned that he would be starting against the Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon. Dobes was a stonewall against the Panthers, rather than show any jitters he was completely dialed in all game.
#Habs Jakub Dobeš: "I know how many goalies wore this jersey before me; it means so much to me that I can be part of this organization - it's the best organization in the world - but like I said, I gotta do my job, I gotta be ready..."
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) December 28, 2024
Dobes was named the first star of the game after making plenty of key saves against the reigning Stanley Cup champions. The native of Ostrava, Czechia., turned aside all 34 Panthers shots. The Florida crowd cheered olé olé olé, needless to say, the Habs fans south of the border were happy with Dobes' performance.
It was nice to watch a confident backup mind the net, giving Samuel Montembeault some time to rest.