Jakub Dobes did not answer questions from the media after his penalty in overtime

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Jakub Dobes did not answer questions from the media after his penalty in overtime
Credit: Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images

Two days ago, I wrote that seeing the Canadiens win more often than not (not consistently, but still) wasn't exactly a coincidence.

Why? Because the guys were scoring on the power play, weren't giving up much when shorthanded, and because Jacob Fowler was finding ways to win.

Yesterday, in a 4-3 loss (in overtime), Jakub Dobes didn't step up down the stretch, nor did the penalty kill (in a game marked by poor discipline)… and the power play did nothing. It's no coincidence that the Habs lost.

Yesterday, at times, the Canadiens were too strong for the Sharks. But they made mistakes.

Jake Evans getting his stick hooked and giving Macklin Celebrini time and space? Lane Hutson trying to do too much when the goal was to protect the lead?

These aren't good mistakes, even if they were made by guys who are easy to forgive because they give it their all on the ice.

But the stupid penalties by Alexandre Texier, Arber Xhekaj, and Jakub Dobes are hard to justify. No need to tell you—you saw the game just like I did.

No one is happy to see Dobes unable to hold the lead, especially since he played so well during the first 40 minutes of the game.

No one is happy to see him take forever to get back on his feet after giving up the game-winning goal.

But it's still important to note that the goaltender, as reported by Stu Cowan, wasn't made available to the media after the game.

If he wants to criticize the “fake reporters” after a win, he has to face the music after a rough performance. Right?

Dobes, who saw the fans cheering him on when things were going well in the game, is clearly an emotional goalie. That works in his favor when things are going well.

But he can be his own worst enemy when things go wrong. His penalty, which opened the door for Macklin Celebrini in overtime (which is not recommended), is proof of that.

The season may be young, and the goalie may have time to get back on track (which the Habs will need to succeed), but what we're seeing right now isn't encouraging.

Not at all, in fact. Mentally, he's struggling to regain his composure.

Let's hope he can take Patrice Brisebois's advice (focus on what he can control and tune out the outside noise) to get back on track.

And when I say “find his footing again,” I don't mean continuing to try to see him play the role of the guy who physically disrupts the play.

But Jakub Dobeš isn't the only player to blame for the Canadiens' loss. What else stands out to me from last night's defeat at the Bell Centre (against a team that had played the night before and in front of several scouts)?

Let's take a look.

1. For the fourth time (at home) in nine games, the Canadiens squandered a two-goal lead and let their opponent tie or win the game. The team has also allowed opponents to earn nine points out of a possible 12 at the Bell Centre.

The Canadiens have three overtime wins, one overtime loss, and two regulation losses at home this season.

It's also worth noting that the Canadiens haven't won a regular-season game in October. Their only such victory? In the season opener, back in September, in Toronto. #OnTheRoad

Only the Sharks have yet to win a regular-season game (and are therefore doing worse than the Canadiens) this season.

2. If you're not happy to see that the Canadiens have once again found a way to squander a lead, just know that the coach is in the same boat as you.

The problem isn't just the second period anymore.

It's also worth noting that when speaking to the media, the coach said he hadn't yet spoken to his goalie about his performance at the end of the game or his penalty.

I wonder what he's told him since then.

3. It's not all bad, since the Habs played well for a stretch of the game. And the story of the game was that the first line took matters into their own hands.

All three guys scored.

Instead, the story now is that the captain leads the league in points scored in a loss by his team. He's up to 10 points in losses.

No, that's not ideal.

4. Adam Engstrom had a good game. In fact, he probably played his best game of the season… just as the battle with David Reinbacher for the sixth defenseman spot is fiercer than ever.

We'll see how it plays out. But his shot off the post, his defensive play, and his nice plays were all noted.

5. Lane Hutson recorded his 135th career assist during the game. He tied Henri Richard for the most assists in Habs history by a player under 23 years old.

And since his birthday is in February, the American defenseman will have time to add to that total.


Extension

The Canadiens have the day off today. They'll be back on the ice tomorrow morning, just before heading to Chicago for Friday night's game.

As a reminder, the team will play in Chicago, Winnipeg (road game), St. Louis, and Dallas from October 23 to 29 before returning home on October 31 to face the Penguins.

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