The Montreal Canadiens have started their five day road trip off with a win. Not only did they come out on top over the defending Stanley Cup Champions, they also debuted their rookie goaltender for a memorable start to his career.
Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes finally made his NHL Debut. He won his first game for the Canadiens, where he also recorded his first NHL shutout.
The Czechia native shut out the 2024 Stanley Cup Champs in a 4-0 win. The Florida Panthers had 34 shots on goal during the game, compared to the Canadiens’ 25.
The rookie played like a veteran. If he had any signs of being nervous, they were not noticed. He took shot after shot, blocking them flawlessly.
Florida was not going to take it easy on him and each period showed how resilient they were to fight.
Dobes is the first Canadiens rookie netminder to earn a shutout in their debut since Yanis Danis in 2005. In the Canadiens franchise history, he is the fifth rookie to have a shutout during their debut.
He is also the second active goalie to earn a shutout in their debut game.
Dobes was called up from the American Hockey League where he played for the Laval Rocket. The Canadiens have added him to their roster as backup goaltender to Samuel Montembeault.
Recent goaltender, Cayden Primeau has struggled this season, resulting in being placed on waivers.
This will be a learning curve for the rookie netminder. His willingness to play well, learn and grow is a welcoming sight to the Canadiens.Â
The Canadiens have been on a hard road as of late. They have a record of 15-17-3, and are sitting sixth in the Atlantic Division.Â
Dobes was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft. He was 136th overall, being chosen by the Montreal Canadiens. He spent two years playing NCAA Hockey at Ohio State, playing in 75 games before making the jump to the AHL. In 2022, he had a .934 save percentage, which was the second-best in the college history. In 2022, he recorded his fourth college career shutout against UConn, stopping 20 shots on net.
During the 14 games played with the Laval Rocket, Dobes had a 9-3-1 record. His goals-against average was 2.44, while his save percentage was a .910. However, he played two parts of two separate seasons. His game records are 33-21-7. His save percentage is a .906 and his goals against average was a 2.82.Â
Dobes was part of the USHL Second All-Star Team in 2021. In 2022, he was a part of the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and the Big Ten First All-Star Team. He is only 23 years of age, making him less experienced in the game. His skill and talent is clear to see, he has the eagerness to grow. If he receives the playing time he deserves, he can continue to become a great asset to the team.
The Canadiens face the Tampa Bay Lighting Sunday December 29th where they will be on the hunt for another win. Montembeault will start the game against the Lightning at this time.
The Canadiens have a long few weeks ahead of them with travel. After their Florida run, they will fly to Las Vegas to face the Golden Knights to end the year. They will then start the new year facing Chicago Blackhawks and the Colorado Avalanche before making their way home.
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