Canadiens’ Fowler Had A Big Night And Received High Praise For It

The Montreal Canadiens wouldn’t have left Winnipeg with two points without fantastic play from goaltender Jacob Fowler. On the grandest stage of them all, the youngest goaltender to start an outdoor game in NHL history was razor-sharp and focused on one thing: stopping the vulcanized rubber puck.

The Florida Panthers notched their fifth straight win and now have a 5-1-0 record, with a 1.79 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. Since being called up, he has stolen the show, but he seems to have elevated his play even more since captain Nick Suzuki was injured.

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After the game, both Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield were asked about the netminder’s performance. The sniper explained:

It’s not rare for goaltenders to be a different breed, guys who have to be left alone in their stall to concentrate, but Fowler just seems to be one of the guys, doesn’t require any kind of special care or treatment.

As for Lane Hutson, he couldn’t help but drop an expletive on live TV when asked about the youngster:

The 21-year-old has managed to establish himself as the team’s top choice netminder, and it will be interesting to see what happens when Samuel Montembeault comes back. According to Renaud Lavoie, Montembeault, initially ruled out for 10 to 14 days, has yet to return to skating, but he should soon. The TVA Sports insider mentions that the Bécancour native should be back in about two weeks.

The delay will at least help Kent Hughes, who needs to decide what to do with his netminders. He made it clear at the golf tournament that he didn’t want to carry three goaltenders, but Fowler has made it nearly impossible to send him back down to the Laval Rocket. The Canadiens need Fowler; it’s that simple. It’s clear enough when you watch him play, but it’s even more apparent when the players talk about what the youngster brings to the table.

Jakub Dobes and Samuel Montembeault have to go through waivers to go down (unless Montembeault agrees to a conditioning stint like he did last season), and it would be shocking if Hughes were willing to roll the dice on either of them. The Habs will likely need to move the Quebecer for a lesser return, but that’s still better than losing him for nothing.

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