Jakub Dobes’ ability to bounce is massive for the Canadiens

It was an ugly showing for Buffalo, who definitely heard the boo birds throughout the game. It was a night-and-day difference from the commanding Game 1 effort. The Sabres continuously lost key battles, and simply looked deflated. The power play, in particular, couldn’t get anything going, finishing the night at what felt like 0-for-716.

Dobeš was on the other end of the spectrum on Wednesday, allowing four goals on 16 shots. It wasn’t all his fault, but he didn’t look particularly comfortable, especially compared to Sunday’s series-clinching effort.

Besides that tough Game 1 outing, Dobeš has been Montreal’s playoff MVP by all accounts. None of that’s surprising, given his 22.94 goals saved above expected at 5-on-5 was sixth in the NHL during the regular season. Dobeš entered the series with a strong 3.41 5-on-5 goals saved above expected. He has been especially solid in high-danger areas, boasting a .872 5-on-5 HDSV in the playoffs.

Dobeš had to be solid on Friday, especially in the second. He did an excellent job of keeping his glove active at all times, giving Buffalo little to shoot up at high. He’s so fluid in his crease, wasting very little movement while letting his 6-foot-4 frame do the rest.

Early in his career, especially during his brief taste of NHL action last year, Dobeš would occasionally get caught swimming in his crease, losing his posts under sustained pressure. Nowadays, his head-tracking is precise; he never seems to lose track of the rubber disk, even in traffic or when moving side-to-side. There’s no question Dobeš is in full control when he’s at his best.

“He brings a lot of energy to our team,” defenseman Mike Matheson said after Friday’s victory. “He plays with a lot of confidence. (Dobes) excudes a lot of swagger for our team.”

Buffalo spent too much time shooting from the perimeter or getting fancy on the power play. The only area the Sabres beat Montreal was in hits. Nothing the Sabres tried Friday seemed to work – and Montreal’s defense deserves so much credit for that. Matheson and Alexandre Carrier managed to snag half of Montreal’s offense in Game 2, for good measure. But for as good as Lyon has been throughout the playoffs, Dobeš was better. So Friday had to be great for his confidence, especially before heading home.

Dobeš loves to play at the top of the crease, cutting down angles and forcing shooters to look for perfect corners. That also means he’s not afraid to get feisty – he and Benson got acquainted quite consistently on Friday.

“For me, he’s a competitor,” coach Martin St. Louis said. “That’s all he’s doing, he’s competing out there. He’s being himself.”

While Dobeš hasn’t lost consecutive games during the playoffs, he hasn’t won two straight, either. His last two back-to-back regulation wins came at the end of March, which was then followed by a pair of shootout victories. That was part of a seven-game win streak, but it’s been a while since he’s been truly consistent.

So that’s the next hurdle for him to overcome. He’s taking it all one game at a time, and the Canadiens clearly trust him. It’s only going to get harder from here, but Dobeš is ready for the challenge.