Danault’s Impact, Praise for Dobes, and an Australian Living the Dream

Marc-Olivier Cook
Danault’s Impact, Praise for Dobes, and an Australian Living the Dream
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When the Canadiens acquired Phillip Danault in exchange for a second-round pick last December, some said the team had overpaid.

After all, Danault wasn't playing like his usual self on the ice. He hadn't scored his first goal of the season yet and was struggling offensively.

But all that is behind us now.

Because in reality, we can see just how important he is to Martin St-Louis's lineup. He helped the Canadiens win on Friday by winning 60% of his faceoffs and helping his team control the puck.

Jake Evans is right when he says this:

I think we needed a player like him, a veteran who's comfortable in tough situations and very good at faceoffs. – Jake Evans

The quote above was taken from the following article (written by Eric Engels):

Danault won't save the Canadiens offensively, but his defensive contribution is so significant that it makes him a valuable player on the Montreal roster.

And today, I don't think the price the Canadiens paid last December to bring him back to Montreal bothers many people…

Praise for Dobes 

Since the start of the playoffs, Jakub Dobes has been playing like one of the best goalies in the world.

He's solid in front of the net… and he's helped his team win several games by making key saves. That's what you want from a No. 1 goaltender… and it's good to know the Canadiens can count on him.

But Dobes' performances are also starting to generate buzz throughout the National Hockey League.

Three goaltending coaches (who requested anonymity) told Pierre LeBrun that they think Dobes is really excellent right now because he's been able to work on his technique.

We love him in Montreal, Doby… but clearly, he has fans elsewhere in the NHL, too.

Good news for the Habs.

For most of the season, we wondered who would start in net. We wondered which goalie would play in the playoffs… and today, there's no longer any doubt about that.

Much of the credit goes to Dobes.

But in all of this, I sincerely believe we shouldn't forget Marco Marciano… who has been doing an excellent job with his goalies since arriving in Montreal.

An Australian is living his dream

The name Perry Clinton probably doesn't ring a bell.

And that's normal.

We're talking about a Canadiens fan who lives in Australia. But Perry Clinton is living his dream: married to a woman from Quebec, he hopped on a plane last week to come to Montreal and experience the playoff fever in the city.

And the best part of it all?

He'll be at the Bell Centre tonight for Game 3 of the series between the Sabres and the Habs. Awesome! 

It's a great story, honestly.

We know how rare it is for most people to get to see a Canadiens game at the Bell Centre (especially in the playoffs)… and it's cool to see that Perry will have the chance to cheer on his team tonight, even though he's coming (literally) from the other side of the world.

A little win to top it all off… that would be the cherry on top! 


In a nutshell

– He's ready for tonight.

– Interesting.

– Whoa!

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