Jakub Dobes really needed that one

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Jakub Dobes really needed that one
Credit: Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images

Jakub Dobes was outstanding last night in Dallas.

The goalie earned his first win of October and his second win of the season. He had also won the season opener in Toronto.

We should be happy for the goalie. After all, the last few weeks haven't been easy for him.

From a hockey standpoint, the goalie needed to step up. The Canadiens can't rely solely on Jacob Fowler all season long—they need two guys.

So it's a good thing to see the guy who was identified as the No. 1 goalie before the season have a big game. And the guys on the team know that.

The goaltender, who faced 19 shots and allowed two goals, wasn't perfect (his sequence behind the net is proof of that), but he did what it took to win. He made the right saves at the right time.

His coach, in fact, thinks he played an excellent game.

However, it didn't seem like the goalie was quite himself after the game. Unlike his reaction after the game in Toronto, Dobes was calmer last night.

Anthony Martineau sees this as a player who wants more. I see him more as a guy who chose not to rock the boat with the media—and who may even have received such advice from the Canadiens.

But regardless: seeing Dobes pull off a big one is a good first step for the Canadiens. It'll keep the talk to a minimum until his next start.

But he'll need to keep up the momentum. After all, Dobes can't just win on the 29th of every month…

Aside from the goalie's performance, there are other things worth noting from yesterday's game, which ended 5-2 in favor of the Canadiens in the final game of a long road trip.

For example?

1. The Canadiens earned eight points out of a possible eight on this long road trip out West. They won all four of their regular-season games and allowed only four goals.

And they did it without Nick Suzuki, Ivan Demidov, and Mike Matheson (yesterday only), which is remarkable.

2. Nick Suzuki's absence means a hole at center on the first line. Yesterday, Alex Newhook got the chance to be tested in that key position by Martin St-Louis.

In the end, he scored twice… and so did Cole Caufield.

I know neither player got an assist on the other's goals. But ultimately, seeing Alex Newhook in Oliver Kapanen's spot energized the offense.

I expect to see this experiment continue tomorrow against the Penguins. Unless Dylan Lark—ah, never mind.

3. Once again, we have to give credit to Phillip Danault. He was once again the forward his coach used the most (19:26) and he picked up an assist on the first goal of the game—Caufield's.

And for those who still doubt his importance (there can't be many), seeing Jake Evans let him score his first goal of the season shows that the guys respect what he brings to the team.

4. The Canadiens failed to score on the power play (0-for-3), took four penalties, and allowed the Stars to score once on a five-on-five play. The Habs also struggled at the faceoff circle (35.7%).

And yet, the game ended 5-2 in favor of the Canadiens, who now hold the league's only active four-game winning streak.

It wasn't perfect for 60 minutes, but bouncing back the way the guys did in a road game is a sign that things are looking up right now.

Let's face it: winning four games like that on the road makes a statement. And that's true even though not every matchup was perfect and some lines were struggling.

5. When Kaiden Guhle is healthy, it makes a difference. Yesterday, without Mike Matheson, the defenseman spent over 25 minutes on the ice. Alexandre Carrier logged over 23 minutes himself.

That made the difference in a game where pretty much all the defensemen did their jobs.


Overtime

It's a travel day for the Habs. So there won't be any practice or media sessions. We shouldn't hear anything yet about Mike Matheson, who will be evaluated upon his return to Montreal.

We'll also be keeping an eye on whether the Rocket—who are on the road and playing tomorrow—might send a player to Montreal due to Matheson's injury. David Reinbacher?

Tomorrow, the Penguins will be at the Bell Centre. How will the first game back from a long road trip—which is never easy for an NHL team—go?

Stay tuned.

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