The Montreal Canadiens called up 21-year-old goaltender Jacob Fowler on Tuesday after another blowout loss. What can he accomplish while Montembeault and Dobes find their games?
Montreal Canadiens fans of a certain vintage might be excused for hoping that call-up Jacob Fowler will come in at the age of 21 and save their season.
They've seen this movie before, particularly in 1971 with Ken Dryden and 15 years later with Patrick Roy.
And it could happen, but more likely the Canadiens will get a chance to see where Fowler measures up to NHL shooters while Jakub Dobes and Sam Montembeault find their games, which appear to have dramatically left them.
If the Canadiens indeed find they've stumbled upon another goaltending superstar, that would be wonderful. But the reality is they are just about where they should be in their building cycle, and Fowler is a huge part of that. Fowler's time will almost certainly be the future, not the present.
And now, with Dobes and Montembeault playing so badly, is as good a time as any to see where he is in his development. Watch today's video column for the full story.
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