Game 1 of their second-round series didn’t go how the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] hoped, as they lost the first game by a score of 3-2, despite only allowing 16 shots on net. Those who didn’t see the game and only checked the scoreline would be forgiven for thinking that Jakub Dobes had an off night [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-take-advantage-of-canadiens-sluggishness-in-game-1-victory], but that wasn’t the case. The truth of the matter is, there wasn’t much the Czech goalie could have done on any of those goals. The first goal came on a three-on-one, and he certainly wasn’t to blame for that play. The second goal came on the power play [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-turn-power-play-problems-into-canadiens-nightmare] after the Habs had broken the Buffalo Sabres [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres]' play, but the puck still got to Zach Benson’s stick, who easily found Ryan McLeod by the side of the net for an easy goal. Canadiens Prospect Named WHL Player Of The Year [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-prospect-named-whl-player-of-the-year] Canadiens’ Suzuki Finalist For Major Award [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-suzuki-finalist-for-major-award] Canadiens’ Top Line Must Break Through [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-top-line-must-breakthrough] In the second frame, the Sabres scored early after fourth liner Jordan Greenway found himself with a golden opportunity when Alex Carrier failed to close him down and effectively screened his goaltender, just like Mike Matheson and Tyler Kozak, who were tangled in front of the net. Dobes couldn’t see a thing as the puck literally went through Carrier. If you’re going to take your goalie’s line of sight away, you need to block that puck. The final goal came on the power play from a great shot by Bowen Byram after Mike Matheson attempted to clear the puck through the middle of the ice. Despite surrendering four goals on just 16 shots, Dobes battled all night to get a visual on the puck, and he wasn’t panicking. There’s a reason why Martin St-Louis didn’t replace him with Jacob Fowler. It wasn’t the time to do that; pulling him would only have messed with his confidence. Since claiming the number one job, Dobes hasn’t faltered, and the coach not pulling him was his way of showing him that he is their top guy and that he’s behind him. Asked about Dobes after the game, the coach said: > If you look at the first two goals, those are two goals he can’t do anything > about. Dobes competed as he always does. - St-Louis on Dobes That’s a fair assessment. The goaltender was one of the most combative players for the Canadiens on Wednesday night, even if the scoreline suggests otherwise. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News. Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I].
