Marc Dumont
The Monreal Canadiens are off to a very encouraging start to the season, powered by the youngest lineup in the NHL, including netminder Jakub Dobes.
To put their early-season results into context, if the Habs manage to maintain their current pace, they’ll finish the season with 117 points, a rather lofty goal considering the Winnipeg Jets were the top team in the league last season, to the tune of 116 points.
Realistically, the team will face stretches in which they struggle to collect points, putting an onus on earning as many wins as possible while they’re overflowing with momentum and confidence.
Jakub Dobes Impact
It’s always tricky to evaluate goaltenders on an even playing field, especially when there are back-to-back games involved, a situation that tends to favour the starter rather than the backup. Seeing as Samuel Montembeault and Dobes have only started four and three games, respectively, it’s important to remember the numbers we’re going to present to you in this article will change in the very near future.
But for now, it’s safe to say Dobes has been the best Canadiens goaltender, and it hasn’t been a particularly close battle.
According to Money Puck, Dobes has saved five goals above average (GSAA), good for fifth in the NHL (5v5). As for Montembeault, he’s ranked 60th, with -3.2 GSAA.
If we dig a little deeper, it becomes clear why Dobes has enjoyed so much success, while Montembeault has faltered at 5v5.
The most notable difference has been their ability to stop high-quality chances. Montembeault has faced 19 high-danger scoring chances, stopping just 13 of them, resulting in a .684 save percentage.
Dobes, on the other hand, has faced 18 quality chances, making 16 saves, good for an .889 save percentage in that particular category. In other words, he has done a great job making the toughest saves every night, a situation that has surely instilled a heightened level of confidence by his teammates.
A big save by Jakub Dobes to keep the game tied. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/uAV8GbcMI3
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) October 16, 2025
The Next Step
We tend to look at goaltending as a controversy, especially in a city like Montreal, which featured its fair share of dominant goalies.
But I’d argue this is a great situation for head coach Martin St-Louis.
Montembeault finished last year with almost 15 GSAA, connoting that his current form is likely an aberration rather than an indication that he’s on the decline.
However, he did end up playing 62 games, one shy of the league lead. For what it’s worth, the league leaders in games played were Connor Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevskiy, two goaltenders who faltered significantly in the playoffs.
If the Canadiens hope to not only qualify for the playoffs, but also enjoy a healthy run, they will likely have to turn to their backup a little more often than in previous seasons.
In that vein, they may want to change their mentality when it comes to the starter position. St-Louis won’t strip Montembeault of his starter position, but a 1A/1B situation may be worth exploring, as a reward for Dobes’ excellent to start the season.
All Montreal Canadiens Statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick and Money Puck.
