Canadiens’ Dobes has right mindset to keep starter’s role

BROSSARD, Que. — So much of goaltending is about mindset, and it’s hard to imagine Jakub Dobes having a better one heading into his first official season as Montreal Canadiens starter.

That he’s unwilling to even acknowledge the job is his to lose — after an electric run from last trade deadline to Eastern Conference Final put him in pole position — is proof positive his head is in the right place.

“I don’t really look at it” as a job to lose, Dobes said after Thursday’s camp-opening practice. “We have a really good trio of goalies right now. (Samuel Montembeault and Jacob Fowler) are awesome. They were supporting me. I think it’s unfair to come here and say it’s my spot. We will be battling all three together for a spot, and whoever gets the start on the 29th will play. Whoever plays better deserves to play. So, that’s the mentality.”

Perhaps the cautionary tale Montembeault wrote last season helped Dobes adopt it. 

Seeing the Becancour, Que., native come in without any real threat of being knocked out of that chair before he was not only ejected from it but also relegated to the third one had to have reinforced to Dobes just how tenuous the starter’s job is.

Montembeault earned it and was extended a long leash to keep it after finishing top-five in the NHL in goals saved above expected over 62 appearances the season prior. 

But seeing the six-foot-three goaltender trip over it to fall so far from grace would provide a valuable lesson to any backup in his presence — but especially one of Dobes’ age and experience level.

The Ostrava, Czech Republic, native was just 24 years old at the start of last season. He was just 16 games into his NHL career. And he, too, went on to experience dramatic highs and lows over a very short period.

It’s a good thing Dobes has that in perspective.

“I kind of remember the struggles, too,” he said. “People can say it was a really good season, but I remember that I wasn’t always at my best or I struggled a bit, too. I take that into consideration, and every day I will try to prove myself. I want to repeat (last season’s success) and (also) win the Stanley Cup. I feel like we were pretty close, but not close enough. So, I don’t think I’m satisfied with what happened last year, because we needed to get past Carolina and then Vegas, so that’s still seven more wins away. So no, I don’t think anything changed. I will try to be better than I was last year.”

He was dynamite from last trade deadline through the end of the regular season, winning 10 of 14 games and posting a .924 save percentage. And no goaltender was better in the playoffs, with a league-leading 13.3 goals saved above expected through 19 games pushing him to a level few thought he’d attain when he was taken in the fifth round of the 2020 draft.

Heck, it was even somewhat unforeseeable Dobes would get there so soon after he failed to unseat a struggling Montembeault from October through the beginning of December.

It was at that time that Fowler was recalled from the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket to the Canadiens, and the highly touted prospect didn’t waste a minute before showing Dobes he was a threat to leapfrog him on the depth chart.

The 21-year-old, who went 69th overall in the 2023 draft, went back down and then came back up. He ended up going 9-6-2 through his first 17 appearances in the league. He posted a .908 save percentage and 2.43 goals-against average. And in the process, he served notice he’d arrived ahead of schedule.

Now Fowler is fighting to stay, to keep Montembeault on the margins, and to push Dobes for the net.

He’s got the talent to steal it — and probably would, if Dobes felt too high on himself.

Instead, the six-foot-four, 215-pound goaltender made it clear on Thursday just how grounded he is.

“I might not even be here after two weeks,” Dobes said. “Two weeks is such a long time, especially in this market. It’s hard to predict the future. I try to take it day by day. Today was a good practice and tomorrow I will try to be even better because I feel like I could be.

“I’m just trying to enjoy everything. I’m 25 years old, playing in the best market in the world. I try to enjoy every day and not think too much ahead because the time flies and you’ve got to live in the present.”

That feels like the best way to take advantage of the opportunity Dobes has in front of him.

Saturday Night Hockey setup

Lines and pairings from Thursday remained the same Friday.

Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis confirmed the A group (featuring Nick Suzuki’s line) would remain in Montreal while the B group (featuring Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson) would go to Toronto for games against the Maple Leafs Saturday night.