It's hard to explain Jakub Dobes's impact on the Montreal Canadiens since they recalled him from the Laval Rocket. People were clamoring for Dobes to get a shot, but no one could have predicted the success he would have. When explaining the impact of Dobes on the team, you have to read his numbers, which look like those of a ten-year veteran, Vezina Trophy frontrunner, and not ones of a goalie in his first four career starts.
Dobes is 4-0-0 in his four starts, stopping 103 of the 107 shots he faced. Two of those games went into an extra period, which means his goals-against average is 0.98 with a .963 save percentage. The Czech netminder is only improving, and his performance in the 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night was his best. Dobes blends a confident attitude in the net with an unorthodox style that shows he's willing to do anything to stop the puck.
His style received the most significant compliment from Craig Button, who did color commentary on the TSN broadcast. Button said it's easy to see who one of Dobes' heroes was growing up in Czechia, as his willingness to throw anything at the puck to stop it reminded him of Dominik Hasek in his glory years. Dobes may be too young to remember Hasek's dominance, but there's no doubt every Czech goaltender has seen the clips.
Dobes recently appeared on the Hockey Think Tank podcast and outlined his mindset about playing in the NHL and making it to the league. He shared an intriguing story that has been making the rounds on social media about how he took a picture of every one of his meals when he was 17 and sent it to Jeff LoVecchio to ensure he was fueling his body correctly to be a professional athlete.
When he was 17, @canadiensmtl goalie Jakub Dobeš took a picture of every one of his meals and sent them to @JeffLoVecchio as accountability to start eating better and taking care of his body. This is the level of commitment that gets you closer to your dream. How you do anything… pic.twitter.com/VGPu176a5w
— Topher Scott (@HockeyThinkTank) January 16, 2025
LoVecchio commented on Dobes' mindset on X. "Coaches of any athletes that have dreams of playing at the higher levels of their sport … I hope you show this to the kids you work with.
DOBEY’S commitment to getting better as a young athlete set the foundation for him to be an goaltender. Habits & Details >."
The emergence of Dobes for the Canadiens might be a surprise to most of the hockey world. However, for Dobes and the people closest to him, it was a foregone conclusion since he was a teenager.