Jakub Dobes Is Growing Up | Defector

""I'm just disappointed in myself. That's pretty much it," he said. As Dobes fought through an imperfect season where he won, then lost, then regained the starting job, I kept thinking about that interview and what I thought it said about his personality. I admired the kid for holding himself to such a high standard, but I also knew that, to succeed in the NHL, a goalie needs a more sustainable way to respond to setbacks."

"When playoff time came, Dobes was the X-factor to an even greater degree than your typical masked man. On his best nights, including Game 7 against Tampa, he made the Canadiens near-unbeatable. On his worst nights, like his stinkbomb in a potential clincher in Game 6, he makes games unwinnable. Would he bounce back? Or would early-season, depressive Dobes rear his unconstructive head?"

"He was perfect through the game's first half as his team took a 2-0 lead, but then some cracks started to show. Jordan Greenway scored while Dobes was neutralized by a screen of bodies. Then in the third, veteran Sabre Jason Zucker smashed into Dobes on an unpenalized play that looked like it was meant to rattle him; just a few moments later, Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin combined for the equalizer."

"A few minutes after that, the Sabres got the puck through Dobes on a non-goal where Montreal was saved by a timely whistle. It felt like the Canadiens were spiraling toward collapse. But they didn't. It was Buffalo who got punched in the gut and then thrown out the door."

Jakub Dobes was linked to a New Jersey game where he suffered a personal, devastating loss and blamed himself. His season included changes in his role, with moments of strong performance followed by setbacks, including a heavy defeat in a later game. In the playoffs, his impact became extreme, with dominant nights that made Montreal difficult to beat and poor nights that turned games unwinnable. During a specific game, Montreal led early, but goals came after screens, physical contact, and a non-goal that was stopped by a whistle. Montreal avoided collapse, while Buffalo absorbed the momentum shift and suffered the consequences.

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