The Montreal Canadiens find themselves in a similar position as they are facing a Game 7 on the road after losing at home in a series-clinching game. In the first round, the Canadiens were able to go on the road to beat the Lightning and will now be looking to do the same thing against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.
However, there is one big difference in this Game 7 compared to the prior one, and that is questions about goalie Jakub Dobes. Through most of the playoffs, Dobes has been exceptional and has been a driving force behind the Canadiens' success.
Even in the Game 6 loss against the Lightning, he was stellar as he allowed only one goal on 33 shots and had a shutout going into overtime. The game on Saturday was a different story as the Canadiens had a 3-1 lead in the first period before Dobes allowed five straight goals before being pulled in the third period for Jacob Fowler.
The concerns for Dobes are that he has actually looked shaky the past two games in net. In Game 5, he gave up three goals in the first period before settling down and finishing by stopping the final 25 shots he faced in the final two periods.
Montreal Canadiens have to hope Jakub Dobes can continue to bounce back after a loss
One thing that has been impressive about Jakub Dobes this season is his ability to bounce back after a loss. According to Sportsnet, Dobes is 18-2-2 with a goals against average of 2.39 and a save percentage of .916.
The Canadiens are going to need that type of performance again if they hope to keep their season alive. However, with how shaky he has been, it is worth wondering if he can with how long the playoffs have been to this point. The Canadiens have essentially been playing every other night for roughly a month now, and that can take its toll on players.
Unfortunately for Montreal, all they can do is hope because they don't have any other realistic options to replace Dobes. Jacob Fowler saw his first action in Game 6 since April 12th and looked shaky after letting in a goal to Zach Metsa.
They also have Samuel Montembeault on the roster, but he hasn't played since March 6th, and when he was playing, he was really struggling. It is hard to imagine that Martin St. Louis would even consider either goalie at this point.
The Canadiens have been tested through these playoffs, and this will be another big test on Monday night. If Jakub Dobes can bounce back, they have a great chance to continue their season and go on to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Add us as a preferred source on Google