TORONTO – Jakub Dobes didn’t have a lot to do through 40 minutes.
The Montreal Canadiens goaltender then made his mark late under a bright spotlight.
Dobes finished with 22 saves in regulation and overtime — a desperation stop with his face on a terrific Dakota Joshua chance in the third period with the game tied 1-1 being the biggest — before making two more in the shootout to seal a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
The 24-year-old has now stopped 52 of 55 shots he’s face over his last two starts, including Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout win against the Winnipeg Jets.
Dobes, who stepped onto the Scotiabank Arena ice with an .892 save percentage and a 3.11 goals-against average through 14 games, has rebounded nicely after allowing seven pucks get past him in a 7-2 loss road loss to the Colorado Avalanche a week ago.
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“Sometimes the hockey goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t,” he said following his 10th victory of the campaign that pushed Montreal to 15-9-3. “It goes day by day. Now you’re good, tomorrow you (might) not be good … I don’t know.
“Short memory. Whatever happens, happens. Just keep working hard and having good details, good mindset, and be a good teammate, and everything will take care of itself.”
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The product of Ostrava, Czechia, sometimes wears his heart on his sleeve, including an emotional post-game media availability after a loss to the New Jersey Devils in early November, but his teammates wouldn’t have their netminder go about his business any other way.
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“A gamer,” said Montreal sniper Cole Caufield, who scored in regulation to push his point streak to 10 contests before adding the first of his team’s two shootout goals. “He expects a lot of himself and demands a lot of himself.
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“Gets heated at times, but I think that’s just the competitor he is.”
Canadiens winger Alexandre Texier, who scored the shootout clincher on slick one-handed move, signed with the club last month after being put on unconditional waivers by the St. Louis Blues.
“Just a weird guy … goalies,” Texier said of Dobes with a smile. “It’s funny, but you can see he’s a goalie right away.”
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The six-foot-four, 215-pound netminder, who shares the crease with Samuel Montembeault, also isn’t afraid to stand his ground. A prime example came in the opening period when he slashed the skates of Toronto forward Matthew Knies at the end of a physical sequence in tight.
“Very combative … he competes,” Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis said. “He’s very demanding of himself. And he likes that stage — Saturday night, Toronto — I don’t think he gets intimidated by that.
“For young goalie, I think it comes with just his passion for the game and his compete.”
Dobes said being brave is a big part of his approach.
“Don’t be afraid to not make a save,” he said. “Be wanting to make a save. That’s in my head, that you want to make a save. If you are forcing something, usually it happens.”
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Dobes credited his teammates with limiting Toronto, which entered on a three-game winning streak, especially through two periods with just 10 shots against.
“We’ve been talking about it for the last couple weeks to be better defensively,” he said. “Just have better details. I’m really proud of the guys to step up and focus on helping us goalies.
“If they help us, and we help them with couple saves, we are a really good team.”
SHORT-HANDED CLAPPER
Maple Leafs centre Scott Laughton blasted a slapshot on a breakaway in the third with his team killing a penalty to tie the game before an enthusiastic celebration.
“A little fired up there,” he said. “I’ve done it before … just thought that was the play.”
Dobes hasn’t had one of those against him in quite some time.
“Tough to practise,” he said. “Good for him, made a pretty cool move.”
SMOOTH HANDS
Texier improved to 5 for 8 all-time in shootouts after fooling Leafs netminder Dennis Hildeby through the five-hole with his one-handed effort.
“I have a couple more (moves), but that’s the one I was gonna do,” he said with a smile. “But I’m not gonna do it every night. Guys will know.”
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St. Louis was impressed from behind the bench.
“I never had that my bag,” said the Hall of Fame winger. “To see it live and that helps you get the win, it makes it even better.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
