The Habs Led By Dobes Hang On For The Win

Dobes stopped 30 of the 32 shots that he faced, which included multiple quality shots by the Sabres. Given the way the young netminder is playing, he should continue to receive the majority of starts due to merit. With the win on Monday, Dobes has improved to 3-0-0 on the year, boasting a .939 save percentage and a 1.63 GAA, which currently rank him 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in these categories throughout the NHL. Being among the top goaltenders in the league right now should surely get him a good bulk of the starts in the near future. As good as Dobes was, the guys in front of him didn’t let him down either.

For the 2nd game in a row, the Canadiens came out strong on home ice. They got onto the board early when Oliver Kapanen finished a play that started with Alex Carrier winning a puck battle at the blueline to feed Alex Newhook who tipped it right over to Ivan Demidov who deked his way through the defense, he then dropped the puck back to Kapanen who found the back of the net for his 4th goal of the season. 

The majority of the 1st period, the Canadiens played with a lot of momentum, but weren’t able to beat Alex Lyon again in the frame. Meanwhile, the 2nd period was the opposite where it was the Sabres that put the pressure on.

The Sabres tied the game a little before the midway point of the period when Zach Benson connected with Jiri Kulich, who beat Dobes with a strong backhand shot. Throughout the whole period, the Habs couldn’t find a groove, but Dobes, much like Lyon, stayed strong to keep the game tied heading into the final frame.

Unlike on Saturday, the Canadiens came out with a mission to regain the lead. It wasn’t long before a pinching Noah Dobson slid the puck through the crease to Juraj Slafkovsky who put it into an open cage as Lyon was caught out of position to give the Habs a 2-1 lead just 2:57 into the final frame. This play showed just how smart a player Dobson can be at times.

With a one-goal lead, the Canadiens kept pushing, and Lane Hutson was able to snipe a wrister past Lyon from the slot after Joe Veleno forced a turnover that allowed Newhook to grab the puck and feed Hutson for a prime scoring chance, where he fired it perfectly, giving the Habs a 3-1 lead.

Unfortunately, only 52 seconds later Sabres forward Tyler Kozek jumped on a rebound off a Jack Quinn shot and was able to beat Dobes to cut the Habs’ lead to 3-2. 

The rest of the period, the Sabres were pressing hard for the game-tying goal, but the Canadiens’ defence remained strong alongside Dobes to keep their lead.

With the game on the line, captain Nick Suzuki blocked two shots in the final minute, which led to him sending the puck forward to Jake Evans who scored on the empty net to seal the deal. Suzuki finished the night with 2 assists, but that play was a reason why he is meant to be the captain, as he’s willing to put his body on the line. As for Evans, he was among the top players for the Habs all night long, so it was fitting that he be rewarded for his work after registering a game-high 8 shots on goal.

The Canadiens put on a good show in front of their fans by delivering a hard-fought win on Monday night. Next up, the Habs will take on the Flames in Calgary on Wednesday at 8:30 pm ET. It will be interesting to see which of Samuel Montembeault or Dobes gets the start in Calgary and which one gets the harder matchup against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.

What were your thoughts on the Habs’ performance against the Sabres on Monday?