The Montreal Canadiens are coming off two key wins against the Buffalo Sabres, giving them a 2-1 advantage in the second round series in the process.
Game 3 was particularly encouraging, as both the first line and depth players made offensive contributions, leading to an impressive 6–2 win that will certainly motivate the entire team. If the Canadiens can rely on their entire team to generate offence, they will be very difficult to stop.
Although the skaters don't always move in the same direction during the playoffs, rookie netminder Jacob Dobbs has been the epitome of consistency, a truly remarkable feat considering his lack of experience.
Dobe Statistics - 5v5
The first thing we should note is that he has significantly improved his save percentage. His 5v5 save percentage during the regular season was .914, while he is currently sitting at .930.
Interestingly, the biggest improvement came when facing medium danger shots. In fact, Dobbs is actually saving low-danger and high-danger shots, but the improvement in medium shots offsets the slight decline in other situations.
Once we dig a little deeper, it becomes clear that the Dobbs are playing a less chaotic brand of hockey in the playoffs.
This may seem counterintuitive, as he is essentially the goaltending version of Husky, who is eager to take the walk or run as often as possible, but the numbers show he is doing a good job of controlling the game. He's allowing fewer rebounds, and he's freezing the puck more often.
And finally, his better-than-expected save percentage has improved, as well as his saves average/above 60 on goals.
Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
There was an interesting segment on Sportsnet during Sunday's game that focused on Dobbs' extracurricular activities.
In particular, they were not sure it was a good idea to react to the team's fourth goal of the game, which occurred on a power play that arose after Beck Malensteen raced the young goaltender at full speed.
Dobbs immediately thanked the Buffalo bench for the power play and the resulting goal.
"We've learned a lot about Dobbs in this playoffs."@kbieksa3 Jacob Dobbes' sentiments are discussed in #Stanley Cup Playoffs. pic.twitter.com/ClvG90G27b
- Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) 11 May 2026
And while I respect the opinions presented, they ignore the reality of the situation.
Dobbs will always be heavily invested in every single game.
He will react emotionally, which may confuse some people, but the numbers tell us that his style of play has been incredibly efficient.
Attempting to change what it is in its original form would not only be a mistake, but would also jeopardize its excellent results.
Dobbs is putting up the best stats of his career because he harnesses that feeling, and the Montreal Canadiens are better for it.
This has been the driving force behind their encouraging playoff run.
All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5, via money puck, unless otherwise noted.
