Martin St-Louis hands net to Jakub Dobes against Vegas after Samuel Montembeault's latest struggles
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Martin St-Louis confirms that Jakub Dobes will be in goal Tuesday against Vegas following Samuel Montembeault's difficult performance in Boston.
The message sent by the Montreal Canadiens' head coach this afternoon leaves no room for interpretation.
After letting another lead slip away, this time against the Boston Bruins, Samuel Montembeault must now give up his throne.
This is no longer a simple routine rest for the Quebec-born goaltender, but rather a punitive decision in response to his disappointing results.
At least, according to many!
The Canadiens can no longer afford to wait for their number-one goalie to rediscover his form in the middle of a playoff race.
Jakub Dobes, 24 years old, will have the heavy task of slowing down the devastating attack of the Vegas Golden Knights at the Bell Centre.
Drafted in the fifth round by Montreal in 2020, 136th overall, the giant Czech goalie is enjoying an interesting rise this season.
He already sports a solid record of 15-5-3 despite a goals-against average of 3.01, which hides his true impact.
Jakub Dobes must save the day for the Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens fans are losing patience and are no longer hiding their anger over Samuel Montembeault's glaring inconsistency.
But to hope to survive in the Atlantic Division, Martin St-Louis knows he needs a goalie capable of stealing games, or at the very least, holding on to leads.
Jakub Dobes seems to have the nerves of steel required to handle the suffocating pressure of the Montreal market, and I can't wait to see what comes next!
You can feel that the hierarchy in goal is definitively shifting right before our eyes.
See the official statement from the Habs:
If Dobes manages to shut down Vegas tomorrow night, Montembeault's return as the starter could be delayed.
It's a risky gamble for Martin St-Louis, but it's the only logical move to shake up his locker room.
Also read on Montreal Hockey Fanatics :
NHL postpones tonight's Kings vs Blue Jackets game due to extreme winter weather
NHL postpones tonight's Kings vs Blue Jackets game due to extreme winter weather
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 26|1560 ANSWERS Martin St-Louis hands net to Jakub Dobes against Vegas after Samuel Montembeault's latest struggles Should Jakub Dobes become the Montreal Canadiens' permanent number one goaltender? | ||
| Yes | 1089 | 69.8 % |
| No, Monty | 83 | 5.3 % |
| No, Fowler | 388 | 24.9 % |
| List of polls | ||