10 Thoughts: Dobes Carries Habs Over Flames

The Habs kicked off a four-game road trip through Western Canada with a finale in Seattle next Tuesday. They were in Calgary in a matchup of teams at opposing ends of the vibes spectrum to start this season as the Habs are in early discussions around the league as the most fun team to watch, while Calgary is unable to win or score. The Habs were able to extend the Flames’ woes with a 2-1 win, but it was mostly thanks to a strong performance by Jakub Dobes who went toe-to-toe with Dustin Wolf in what was a goaltender’s battle.  

Habs Lineup

Cole Caufield — Nick Suzuki — Juraj Slafkovsky
Brendan Gallagher – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson
Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen — Ivan Demidov
Zach Bolduc — Joe Veleno — Joshua Roy 

Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Jayden Struble — Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier 

Jakub Dobes 

10 Thoughts

1) The start of the game was a dark one for fans in Calgary. That’s meant literally, as the arena had some issues with the lights to start. It’s also figuratively true as the start of the game was low-event hockey with both teams being timid and safe in puck management. The Flames came out ahead 7-3 in shots from the opening half-period but nothing to really defy Dobes. 

2) Dobes was called for a high stick which was a strange occurrence, but the special teams play went the way of the Habs who got the better chance of the sequence which seemed to get them going. Montreal got their own advantage soon after but that wasn’t convincing. Regardless, the Canadiens were convincingly better than the Flames for the rest of the period with shots supporting the argument as they ended the period ahead 10-9 in shots. 

3) The true story of the first period was Dustin Wolf. Once the Habs got going, the number of shots that were scoring chances was quite high, but it was Wolf who kept Calgary in the game with a series of huge saves as the Habs ended the period with only a 1-0 lead. That goal was scored on their second advantage as Hutson and Suzuki played catch until Bolduc got open in the slot for a one-timer that finally beat Wolf with under three minutes to play in the period. 

4) Dobes, who was quite loud in his net in the first period, saw how Wolf ended the first and asked everyone in attendance to hold his beer. The Flames once again were the better team out of the gate to start the second period. This time, it was the Flames who got better throughout the period as they outshot the Habs 18-9 in the period, taking a 27-19 lead overall.  

5) The one bright spot for the Canadiens in the second period was their penalty kill. The Habs spotted the Flames three power play opportunities and not only did they come out of the situations unscathed, they got the better scoring chances across all three sequences. Evans’ excellent reads to anticipate where the puck would find itself out of board battles allowed  

6) The goaltending was once again on full display in the opening minute of the third period as Dobes made a brilliant poke check before Wolf robbed Suzuki on a breakaway opportunity. For a game that lacked in the entertainment department, the opening minute of the period was a breath of fresh air. 

7) Six minutes into the period, Adam Klapka picked the pocket of Dobson right in the offensive zone as he turned to find himself all alone in the slot. Klapka was one of the better Flames forwards throughout the night, as is often the case with big players with limited skill against the undersized Habs. On this particular play, it wasn’t a size issue, but just poor puck management by Dobson considering the score and time of the game. 

8) Dobson’s rough period continued as he took an interference penalty a few moments later. It was a weak call, and the official must have felt so after the replay as Suzuki was tripped early in the advantage leading to another weak call, this time against Calgary, which created an extended 4-on-4 sequence that was exciting.  

9) The final five minutes of the game were typical of cross-conference play in such circumstances as both teams were ridiculously cautious in attempting to secure their first point against a team whose similarly gained point affects them not. It was a boring end of the game. 

10) The overtime was short but sweet. The opening minute was dominated by Suzuki-Caufield-Hutson, but the important part came after that shift. A minute into the extra frame, Newhook gave Demidov the puck. Demidov attacked with speed before using crazy edge work to place all three Flames’ players on their heels. This allowed him to fake two passes that opened a backdoor lane to Matheson. Demidov delivered the awesome pass, and Matheson ended the game. 

HabsWorld Habs 3 Stars

1st Star – Jakub Dobes 

This was not the best game from Montreal, but when they needed him, Dobes was huge in keeping the Habs in the game long enough for them to get going. For me, Dobes remains a touch loud in his play, creating situations where he must make spectacular saves that otherwise would not have been necessary. The number of times he makes these saves is important, so his style clearly works for him as it did on this night. What a performance by Dobes. 

Stats: 1 goal allowed on 37 shots, 0.98G.A.A., 0,973 save %, 61:00 T.O.I. 

2nd Star – Juraj Slafkovsky 

Slafkovsky was one of the few Habs who really played a solid game, winning many board battles in the offensive zone to create some chances for his line. On this night, those chances came back to his stick, yet he was unable to truly connect on those chances.  

Stats: even, 4 shots, 3 blocks, 1 hit, 16:50 T.O.I. 

3rd Star – Ivan Demidov 

Demidov had a strong first period where he got some time in the offensive zone, creating chances for Kapanen who was stopped twice on excellent chances by Wolf in the first. He disappeared with his teammates for much of the second half of the game, but how about that patience and pass on the game-winner? The talent is unquestionably worth waiting for this kid to pop. 

Stats: 1 assist, even, 1 shot, 1 hit, 13:46 T.O.I.