The good news for the Montreal Canadiens is that players like Kirby Dach, Jake Evans, and Patrik Laine are getting closer to returning to the ice. It isn't clear who these players might replace on the roster, but one thing the Canadiens must do is get down to two goalies.
Currently, the Canadiens have Sam Montembeault, Jacob Fowler, and Jakub Dobes on the roster, largely due to the inconsistency of the position. Montembeault and Dobes began the season as the team's goalie duo and really struggled, so the team decided to call up Fowler in the middle of December.
Since December 11th, Fowler has played the same number of games (9) as Montembeault and Dobes combined. When looking at each goalie's record, Montembeault (3-0) and Dobes (4-0-1) have been better than Fowler (4-3-2).
However, in terms of the individual production, all three goalies are relatively close, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Save Percentage | Goals Against Average | Goals Saved Above Average | High-Danger Save % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sam Montembeault | .921 | 2.40 | 1.71 | .870 |
Jacob Fowler | .907 | 2.46 | -0.06 | .814 |
Jakub Dobes | .893 | 2.56 | -1.66 | .735 |
Canadiens decision should come down to Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes
For the Montreal Canadiens, the decision should be between Fowler and Dobes for the simple fact that both players can go down to Laval without having to go through waivers. Dobes seemed to acknowledge the fact after the game against Washington that being sent down was on his mind.
He made it clear though, that he wouldn't agree with the decision if Montreal decided to go that route.
"“Maybe some people feel it’s better for me to go down,” he said. “But if I win games. … For me to go down, it would be something that I wouldn’t understand. But I don’t make these decisions. I’m just trying to prove that I belong. I feel like if I keep winning, I’ll be just fine."Jakub Dobes
The problem is that wins and losses aren't completely up to the goalie, as the Canadiens have scored an average of three goals per game in his starts but have been shut out in two of the past three games. Meanwhile, Dobes is getting 4.8 goals of support per game, and the Canadiens have scored a combined 12 goals in just his past two starts.
In addition, over the past month, since Fowler has been called up, he has faced, on average, five more shots per game than Dobes. There is no disputing that Dobes has had as many wins as Fowler in about half the games, but Fowler has faced tougher competition during that stretch, which highlights that he has been better than Dobes in the net.
While Dobes may not understand the decision, the Canadiens should stick with Fowler alongside Sam Montembeault as their goaltending duo when it is time to open up a roster spot for one of the returning skaters in the next few weeks.