Jacob Fowler as the No. 1 goalie: “Let’s calm down,” says Marc Denis

Marc-Olivier Cook
Jacob Fowler as the No. 1 goalie: “Let’s calm down,” says Marc Denis
Credit: Capture d'écran / X

The talk of the town in Montreal right now is Jacob Fowler.

He dominated last night and helped the Canadiens pick up two (very) important points against the Winnipeg Jets.

And it's especially the way he stepped up in the game that continues to impress today, a little less than 24 hours after Montreal's victory.

Calm, composed, confident, impassive, quiet, relaxed, mature, unflappable, wise, patient…

Pick any word you like to describe Fowler, who looked like a brick wall in front of his net against the Jets. And following his performance, one question keeps coming up:

Is he officially the Canadiens' No. 1 goaltender right now?

Fowler, who has won his last five games, is hard to bench right now. He gives the Canadiens a chance to win because he's doing (more than just) his job in front of the net. But Marc Denis's advice to the team's fans: let's take a breath before openly declaring that Fowler is the No. 1…

Here's what he said in a recent episode of his podcast (RDS): 

Marc Denis knows the game. He played in the NHL and knows what it takes to be a #1.

And his comments make sense in the sense that we were saying the same thing about Jakub Dobes last spring. Some saw him as a true hero, whereas today, the guy is struggling to win games in the NHL… and we also know just how intense the pressure from the market can be for a young goaltender like Fowler (and Dobes).

On the other hand, we can't turn a blind eye to what's happening right now with the Habs.

We can't look at this and tell ourselves that Dobes deserves more playing time: Fowler simply seems to be on another level right now when you compare his performances to Doby's.

And at some point, if Fowler keeps racking up wins and delivering in big games… the narrative will have to change.


In a Nutshell

– Alert to fantasy league players.

– Ivar Stenberg is now on the Sharks' top line.

– Ouch.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!