The Montreal Canadiens' goaltending concerns reached a critical point Thursday night at the Bell Centre, where the Dallas Stars delivered a devastating 7-0 defeat that exposed the team's most vulnerable position.
Dobes' Difficult Night
With starting goaltender Samuel Montembeault struggling and fans clamoring for Jakub Dobes to take the number one role, Dobes got the opportunity against the high-powered Stars offense. The result proved disastrous for the young netminder, who allowed five goals on just 13 shots through the first two periods before being pulled by head coach Martin St. Louis.
The situation didn't improve with the change. Montembeault entered the game for the third period only to surrender a goal on the first shot he faced. Dallas would add one more against Montreal's backup, finishing with seven goals on just 19 shots while the Canadiens managed 24 shots but couldn't beat Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger.
Statistical Breakdown Reveals Alarming Trends
The numbers paint a concerning picture for Montreal's goaltending duo. Dobes' record now stands at 6-1-1 with a 2.70 goals-against average and .901 save percentage, but his performance has significantly declined recently. Over his last four appearances, his save percentage has plummeted to .839.
Montembeault's struggles have been even more pronounced, posting a 4-4-1 record with a 3.61 GAA and .857 save percentage. The team's defensive issues extend beyond the crease, with defenseman Lane Hutson going minus-7 over the last two games, including a minus-4 performance in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to Los Angeles.
Coach St. Louis described the game as "bizarre" and insisted the team played better than the lopsided score indicated. The statistics partially support his claim - the Canadiens outshot Dallas 14-5 in the first period and finished with six high-danger scoring chances to Dallas' four according to Natural Stat Trick.
Injury Compounds Canadiens' Troubles
The loss was compounded by a potentially significant injury to forward Alex Newhook, who left the game four minutes into the second period after being hooked by Dallas defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and crashing feet-first into the boards. The team reported that Newhook couldn't put weight on his right leg while being helped to the locker room and was still being evaluated after the game.
Defenseman Mike Matheson defended his goaltenders after the game, emphasizing collective responsibility. "I think both guys are important pieces to our team," Matheson stated. "It's always the fault of the whole team. It's not just one or two players."
Captain Nick Suzuki acknowledged the team's recent struggles but maintained perspective. "We have the expectations just as much as they do," Suzuki said of the fans. "We haven't been living up to those recently. But we had a good start, gave ourselves a lot of points in the standings. This setback is just a little bump in the road for us."
Despite the embarrassing loss, the Canadiens remain in first place in the Atlantic Division with a 10-5-2 record, though they're now tied in points with both Ottawa and Boston. The team will have little time to regroup with the Bruins visiting the Bell Centre on Saturday night.
