An odd bounce prevented Montreal Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler from earning the shutout, as the Habs earned a critical 4-1 road victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday, their fourth in a row. While a playoff spot in an exceedingly difficult Atlantic Division is still far from guaranteed, the win helped the team make further inroads to securing one, as they surpassed their 91-point total in the standings from last year, with 10 games remaining.
All that to say, they’re in a good spot, with the new goaltending tandem of Fowler and Jakub Dobes standing tall recently. If there’s one thing Canadiens fans can be (relatively) certain about, it’s that the Habs will be going with them in the postseason, as Sam Montembeault sits, all due respect to him. Despite Montembeault’s stellar play in 2024-25, he just hasn’t been as reliable as the former two this season, in what is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately type of league. It at least should be anyway, where players’ ice time reflect the quality of their level of play.
Fowler vs. Dobes
On Saturday, Fowler brought it put simply, improving his stat line to 7-5-2 with a 2.59 goals-against average (GAA) and .903 save percentage (SV%). While the goal in question, a tap-in on the part of Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux after the puck deflected off the boards behind Fowler to right in front of the goalie, ended the shutout bid, it’s worth noting the Canadiens, regardless of how impressive they’ve been this season, have only one blank sheet to their names… and it was signed by Fowler in a 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 20.
Overall, Fowler has been the most impressive of the three goalies, albeit over a sample size of 14 games as a rookie. Dobes, technically still a rookie himself despite establishing himself as a key component of the team’s success in their unlikely run to earning a wild-card spot last spring, is 24-8-4 with a 2.83 GAA and .898 SV%. Considering the league averages are 2.87 and .896 this season (per Hockey-Reference.com), he’s more than earned some respect himself, especially of late. Going back to Fowler’s initial debut in December, including the point at which he was temporarily sent back down to the American Hockey League, Dobes is 14-3-2 with a .907 SV%.
Those are Dan Vladar numbers, right there.
Flash-in-the-pan jokes aside, Dobes has begun to emerge as a legitimate difference-maker, with 10.8 goals-saved above expected, in all situations (per MoneyPuck.com), good for 14th best in the league (two rungs below Vladar, to be fair). That’s the stat which Montembeault’s strongest proponents point to as why the Habs should continue to give him a chance, after he finished among the league’s leaders last season. In 2025-26 though, he’s at No. 74 with a rating of -4.9.
So, not the strongest argument.
Carey Price Comparisons
The simple truth is Montembeault just hasn’t been good enough this season, while Fowler has earned comparisons to Carey Price, from the man himself no less. Meanwhile, Dobes has literally tied the 24 wins Price put up during his 2007-08 rookie season, while sitting at 31, one back of Hockey Hall of Famer Rogie Vachon for fourth place among all Canadiens rookie in history, with the seven Dobes posted last year admittedly contributing to his total.
Carey Price was asked which goalie in today’s NHL reminds him of himself, he named Jacob Fowler 👀#GoHabsGo #Habs #thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/Ogs9lX3h5L
— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) March 26, 2026
Related: Carey Price’s Accomplishments Ranked After Masterton Win
So, while questions do remain regarding the Canadiens’ goaltending, the inconsistency that plagued their net over the course of the season’s early months have largely given way primarily to: “With whom do they go to start the postseason (assuming a playoff spot is indeed in the cards *knock on wood*?”
Logic dictates Dobes. He has (slightly) more experience, but he’s also been leaned on more heavily as of late, because of his exceedingly strong performances. In his last seven games, he’s earned a .931 SV%. Meanwhile, Fowler has the element of surprise going for him, with so few teams having actually faced him, at least not to the degree any book would be out on him, at least not so soon. Ask yourself this: How many times has a team gone on a long playoff run on the strength of goaltending from someone with as small of a career sample size as Fowler? The answer: often enough that it’s at least worth considering on the part of the Canadiens.
Dobes over Fowler for Now?
Logic also dictates, when teams play back-to-back games, you go with the stronger goalie in the first game, regardless of the opponent, to help ensure you secure at least one victory. So, with Fowler having won last night (and Dobes almost certainly set to play the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday evening), it’s at least clear the Canadiens hold Fowler in high esteem. Now, seeing as Fowler was near-universally seen as a top goaltending prospect across the league heading into this season, that was admittedly never really in doubt. However, he’s only reinforced the sentiment, including against the Predators, who, while a weaker team fighting for a playoff spot, should have theoretically been incredibly desperate for a win.
The Canadiens have been there, just last season in fact. They’re similarly desperate now, though. Having improved on last season’s point total, their focus shifts to securing a favourable playoff seed, so that they may put themselves in the best possible position to improve on their previous first-round finish. Goaltending would be at the heart of any success they enjoy in that regard. While Dobes will probably get the nod, it shouldn’t be lost on anyone that an injury to their starter last spring, Montembeault, forced him into action against the Washington Capitals.
Dobes was just all right, but the experience he gained will realistically factor into the eventual decision-making process. Even so, the point is the Canadiens need two goalies on whom they can rely. It looks like they have them, regardless of who ends up starting. Dobes has the edge now, but, to which the odd bounce on Saturday night can attest, anything can happen.
