The Montreal Canadiens took a 3-2 lead on Wednesday night and head back to Montreal with a chance to clinch the series in front of their fans in Game 6. One of the reasons the Canadiens are in this position is because of rookie Jakub Dobes, who has outplayed his counterpart on the Lightning.
In the early part of the season, the Canadiens had questions at the position as Samuel Montembeault struggled. At the end of January, the team decided to switch their goaltending coach and, at the same time, turned to Jakub Dobes as their starter.
The Canadiens went on an impressive run after the Olympic break, and Dobes was one of those reasons as they finished with 106 points and tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dobes finished the season with a 29-10-4 record, a save percentage of .901, and a goals against average of 2.78.
However, the playoffs are a different enviornment and the Dobes entered the playoffs as the clear starter but with the question of whether or not he could improve on his performance last season. Last season, he appeared in three games and had a save percentage of .881 and a goals against average of 2.91 against the Washington Capitals.
This season, Dobes was going to be asked to match the performance of one of the top goalies in the NHL in Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Lightning goalie is a two-time Stanley Cup winner and has won the Conn Smythe Trophy and Vezina Trophy in his career, and led the league in wins this season.
Jakub Dobes proving to be a difference maker in series against the Lightning
While Vasilevskiy entered the series with the better resume, Jakub Dobes has been the better goalie in this series. Through the five games in this series, Vasilevskiy has 14 goals against, with a save percentage of .880 and a goals against average of 2.68. Dobes, though, has been slightly better in each category with 13 goals against, a save percentage of .903, while facing 17 more shots and a goals against average of 2.49.
Dobes has made pivotal saves at key moments in this series that have helped get the Montreal Canadiens to this position. In Game 5, the Lightning had pulled Vasilevskiy for the extra attacker for the final 2:30 of the third period.
The Canadiens did a good job limiting shots in this period, but the Lightning still got their chances, and Dobes made the needed saves to protect the lead.
The Montreal Canadiens have a great opportunity ahead of them on Friday night to advance to the second round for the first time since 2021. It will need to be a team effort, but Dobes is a player who could have a huge impact, and if he plays as he has to this point, the Canadiens have to like their chances.
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