Following their disappointing loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday, the Montreal Canadiens have an opportunity for redemption as they face the Edmonton Oilers at the Bell Center on Sunday night. Head coach Martin St. Louis kept the starting goalie decision under wraps until an hour before the game, opting to start Jakub Dobes, who had spent the previous two games in the press gallery, while Jacob Fowler had recently played the previous two games and Samuel Montembault has been a backup for the past six matches, with his last start on December 2 against the Ottawa Senators.
The goalie strategy remains uncertain. Montembault has struggled this season, Dobes slowed down after a strong start, and Fowler showed he could compete at the NHL level in a recent game. The team is weighing whether to keep three goaltenders or send one to the Laval Rocket, with Fowler and Dobes most likely candidates for reassignment since they wouldn’t require waivers.
Despite some positioning flaws compared to Fowler, Dobes impressed early on Sunday, especially during a critical 5-on-3 power play by Edmonton with key saves against star players like Zach Hyman, Leon Draisaitl, and Connor McDavid. His confident and timely saves gave both the team and fans hope, continuing strong into the second period by shutting down multiple scoring attempts with sharp poke checks and calm puck handling.
Coach St. Louis praised Dobes’s performance, acknowledging that while they needed to evaluate next steps, the team has been playing well overall in recent games. The Canadiens took a lead in the second period with a power play goal from rookie Ivan Demidov, who finally took the shot everyone anticipated and scored. St. Louis emphasized the importance of trusting players’ instincts over over-coaching.
Montreal’s second goal was capitalized on a turnover forced by pressure from Josh Anderson, leading to a quick score by Joey Veleno. Although the Canadiens struggled to convert on some chances, solid goaltending from Dobes kept Edmonton at bay. Jake Evans was tasked with containing McDavid and succeeded in limiting his impact despite McDavid’s recent scoring streak.
Defenseman Mike Matheson’s speed helped neutralize Edmonton’s captain, and overall, Montreal delivered one of their best games this season, earning a solid 4-1 victory. The Canadiens will enjoy a day off before playing the Philadelphia Flyers at the Bell Center on Tuesday.
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Fan Take: This game highlights the resilience and depth of the Montreal Canadiens, showing that strategic goalie decisions and trusting young players can lead to meaningful wins. For hockey fans, it’s an exciting sign that Canadiens’ emerging talent and smart coaching could shift the balance in tough matchups and bring renewed hope to the franchise.
