Hidden Game: Dobes stands on his head as Canadiens beat Vegas
This edition of the Hidden Game is dedicated to Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes.
Playing his first game in a week
, the acrobatic netminder was brilliant in Montreal’s 3-2 overtime victory against the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday night at the Bell Centre. And, in the process, Dobes stopped the bleeding, ending the Canadiens’ two-game losing streak.
and his unorthodox style. Say what you will about the .887 save percentage — 50th in the NHL — Dobes had when this night began. The guy wins far more than he loses and improved to 16-5-3, including 5-0-1 in his last six starts. This marked his first career game against Vegas.
Dobes could have succumbed after allowing the game’s opening goal, on Vegas’s seventh shot, less than nine minutes into the game. He could have succumbed again after the visitors tied the score with fewer than four minutes remaining in regulation time, and it appeared the Canadiens were about to squander yet another lead.
Dobes faced 34 shots and stopped 32 of them, including 12 of 13 in the third period. His save percentage against Vegas was .941.
Montreal entertains Colorado — the NHL’s best team — Thursday night. It will be a travesty if Dobes doesn’t earn a second consecutive start, in our humble opinion.
News you need (Part I):
When the
on Saturday night, it marked the first time since Dec. 9 — a stretch of 22 games — they dropped consecutive games in regulation. The win over Vegas means Montreal hockey fans can relax again, even if it’s only for 48 hours.
On the other hand:
It’s Vegas that has now lost two straight, and four of five, following a seven-game winning streak. We’re guessing nobody on the Vegas Strip is panicking.
And he wasn’t good enough for the U.S. Olympic team:
Cole Caufield
, who gave the Canadiens a 2-1 second-period lead, has scored nine goals in his last six games.
News you need (Part II):
Not only was the goal Caufield’s 30th this season in 53 games, he became the fastest player in team history to reach total since Stéphane Richer in 1989-90.
News you need (Part III):
This marked the Canadiens’ first regular-season win against Vegas at the Bell Centre since Jan. 18, 2020.
News you need (Part IV):
Pavel Dorofeyev, who scored both Vegas goals, has seven goals in his last seven games.
Turnover of the night:
While it’s difficult to criticize any part of Ivan Demidov’s game, his mishandling of the puck resulted in the opening goal.
Best goal scored with a broken stick:
It would have been by Caufield in the second period. However, following a coach’s challenge by the visitors, it was determined Caufield was offside on the play.
He doesn’t score, but …:
Yeah, it’s now 16 games — and counting — without a goal for
. But his harmless looking shot from the side boards was deflected by
past goalie Akira Schmid, tying the score 1-1.
News you need (Part V):
Danault is no threat to win the Rocket Richard trophy, but that was his second goal in 17 games with the Canadiens. In 30 games with Los Angeles before being traded, he failed to score.
Pass of the night:
Mitch Marner, who was booed each time he touched the puck, to Dorofeyev in the second period. It was a bang-bang play — and Dobes was up to the task.
If at first you don’t succeed:
The Canadiens had a three-on-one break in the second period — and Caufield hit the post. No matter. Seconds later, he scored.
Unsung hero:
Before Caufield scored, Mike Matheson dove and broke up a potential scoring threat.
Great moments in officiating:
Caufield was called for hooking in the second period, although he never appeared to touch Marner. He later received an apology. Later in the period, Lane Hutson was called for holding Ivan Barbashev’s stick. He did. But it also appeared Barbashev hooked Hutson. And in the third period, Oliver Kapanen collided with Mark Stone. Although both players forgot to yield, it was only Kapanen who was penalized, for interference.
News you need (Part VI):
The Canadiens won the second period, 2-0, and have reduced their goals deficit in that frame to 68-58.
Game of inches:
Arber Xhekaj lost the puck to Noah Hanifin in the third period. Hanifin, playing his 800th career game, hit the post.
Dumb penalties:
Take your pick — Shea Theodore’s slash on Kaiden Guhle or Rasmus Andersson’s trip on Alexandre Texier. Both were in the third period.
Next time, decline the penalty:
The Canadiens went 0-for-4 on the power play.
News you need (Part VII):
The Canadiens had three overtime shots in nearly four minutes. It was the same number they produced in the entire third period.
Quick stats:
Caufield had five of Montreal’s 26 shots. Guhle had four hits and blocked three shots. Alexandre Carrier blocked four shots, one more than Noah Dobson. Hutson played 25:04. Xhekaj had two hits despite playing only 8:16. The Canadiens won 45 per cent of their faceoffs. Both teams had 24 hits.
They said it:
“Every time you win you’re good enough,” Dobes said. “It was good enough today. I was feeling good.”
“That’s how hockey goes,” Caufield said. “You can go a couple of games without a goal. I like where my game’s at right now. I’m getting a lot of chances. Happy to get to 30 again.”
“Obviously you don’t want to give up one late,” Dobson said. “At the end of the day it happens. When they tied it up there was no panic. We stayed composed. But the way we responded and were able to get that extra point in overtime was huge. He (Dobes) did his job tonight and gave us a chance. It was great to reward him with a big win at the end.”
