Juraj Slafkovsky fires a playful jab at Dobes after his bounce-bac

Jakub Dobes got his revenge last night, and Juraj Slafkovsky teased him pretty hard after the Canadiens’ win against the Jets.

With this victory, Montreal now stands at 14-9-3 for 31 points, sitting in the middle of the Atlantic Division pack, while the Jets fall to 13-12-1 after losing six of their last seven games. In goal, Dobes delivered exactly the type of performance he badly needed. He stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced and gave up nothing in the shootout, helped by the goalpost on Gabriel Vilardi’s attempt.

It’s no secret: his month of November was difficult, with a 2-3-2 record, a 4.42 goals-against average, and a .849 save percentage in six games. After last night’s win, the 24-year-old goaltender now has a 9-3-2 record this season, a 3.11 goals-against average, and a .891 save percentage.

Juraj Slafkovsky in teasing mode

We also remember Dobes’ emotional press conference after the game against the Devils, where he practically took all the blame on himself, enough to make Martin St-Louis and the coaching staff react.

A little jab, sure, but mostly a sign that the group feels their goalie just turned a page. On the ice, Slafkovsky did his part with a power-play goal, his second in as many nights, bringing his season totals to 8 goals and 14 points, while Oliver Kapanen scored the other goal for the Canadiens.

Caufield, meanwhile, extended his point streak to nine games, and he leads the team with 14 goals and 29 points in 26 games.

Dobes, a fifth-round Canadiens pick in 2020, stands 6-foot-4, weighs 215 pounds, and already has 15 career NHL wins, with a 2.81 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. For a young goaltender, a night like this against a strong team can make a difference mentally.

Next step: a big challenge Saturday in Toronto, followed by the Blues’ visit to the Bell Centre on Sunday.

Both goaltenders should see action over the weekend, and the battle for the number-one job may have just taken an interesting turn.