Dobes will get the start in net Sunday for Game 1 against the Lightning, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports.
Dobes will get the nod for the postseason opener over 21-year-old rookie Jacob Fowler and veteran Sam Montembeault. The 24-year-old Dobes finished the regular season with a 29-10-4 record, a 2.78 GAA and a .901 save percentage while leading Montreal's netminders with 43 games played. He enters the postseason in a bit of a slump, having allowed at least three goals in four of his last five starts. Dobes will have his hands full with the Lightning, who ranked fourth in the NHL at 3.49 goals per game in the regular season.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Strong outing vs. NYI
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Fowler stopped 30 of 31 shots in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Islanders.
Fowler delivered a strong showing across the board, with the lone goal he allowed coming midway through the third period when Montreal already had a three-goal lead. Fowler should remain as Montreal's No. 2 option between the pipes, so he's not likely to see action in the regular-season finale at Philadelphia on Tuesday. He owns a 9-6-2 record with a 2.43 GAA and .908 save percentage through 17 appearances this season, which are impressive numbers for a 21-year-old rookie.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Not starting after all
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Contrary to a prior report, Fowler is not expected to be in goal against the Panthers on Tuesday, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.
Lavoie is now reporting that Jakub Dobes was the first goaltender to leave the ice at the morning skate. With Fowler seemingly not being the starter for Tuesday's game, his next opportunity to tend the twine will be against Tampa Bay on Thursday.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: First off ice Tuesday
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Fowler is scheduled to occupy the home crease Tuesday against the Panthers, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.
Fowler's three-game winning streak was snapped at the hands of the Devils on Sunday, as he conceded two goals on 19 shots in a 3-0 loss. The 21-year-old is the preferred No. 2 option for the Canadiens these days, as Sam Montembeault hasn't been in goal since March 6 in Anaheim. As for Tuesday's opponent, Florida sits 20th in the NHL with 2.92 goals per game this season.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Gets no help in loss
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Fowler stopped 17 of 19 shots in Sunday's 3-0 loss to the Devils. The third goal was an empty-netter.
The Canadiens weren't able to generate any goals in the second half of a back-to-back, leaving Fowler on the hook for the loss. The 21-year-old had won three straight games entering Sunday, allowing just six goals on 70 shots during the streak. Fowler is down to 8-6-2 with a 2.52 GAA and a .904 save percentage over 16 starts. He and Jakub Dobes have been sharing the crease lately, so expect Dobes to get the nod Tuesday versus the Panthers.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: In goal against Rangers
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Fowler will get the starting nod on the road versus the Rangers on Thursday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.
Fowler has looked fairly solid over his last four outings, going 3-1-0 with a 2.52 GAA. It seems the young backstop has replaced Sam Montembeault as the No. 2 option behind Jakub Dobes. With an upcoming back-to-back against the Devils on Saturday and Sunday, Fowler figures to get at least one more start down the stretch.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Tagged with loss Sunday
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Fowler stopped 24 of 28 shots in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Ducks.
Fowler has dropped three of his past four starts while allowing at least three goals in each of those defeats. The 21-year-old is bound to experience some ups and downs, though, so he's more of a matchup-based option in fantasy. Jakub Dobes should remain as the clear-cut No. 1 option between the pipes in Montreal, but Sam Montembeault is also in the mix as a potential backup. That said, Montembeault hasn't played since March 6 and has made just two appearances since the Olympic break.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Defeats Senators
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Fowler stopped 32 of 34 shots in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Senators.
Fowler made his first NHL appearance since Jan. 15 and delivered a good performance. He allowed a pair of goals to Drake Batherson late in the first period but didn't bend again, allowing the Canadiens to pull off the comeback win. Fowler improved to 5-4-2 with a 2.56 GAA and a .906 save percentage over his first 11 NHL contests. The 21-year-old could be in the mix for another start over the weekend if he stays on the Montreal roster -- he'd either face the Sharks on Saturday or the Ducks on Sunday in that case, though Jakub Dobes and Sam Montembeault are also in the mix.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Sent down to minors
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Fowler was reassigned to AHL Laval on Friday
The Habs have been carrying three goalies for a while, so it's not a huge surprise they decided to return Fowler to the minors. Still, his stint with the Rocket could be short-lived. Assuming he plays for the minor-league club against AHL Manitoba on Friday or Saturday, he could be recalled ahead of Tuesday's clash with Minnesota.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: In goal Thursday
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Fowler will get the starting nod on the road against the Sabres on Thursday.
Fowler has featured in three of the Habs' last seven outings while the team continues to carry three netminders on the roster. In those appearances, the 21-year-old Fowler went 1-2-0 with a 2.08 GAA but won't offer much in terms of fantasy value moving forward if he can't secure more of the workload.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Tagged with loss Saturday
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Fowler stopped 20 of 23 shots in Saturday's 4-0 loss to the Red Wings. The fourth goal was an empty-netter with 1:07 left in the third period.
Fowler has been playing regularly of late, but his performances have had some ups and downs from a fantasy perspective. He's won just two of his last five outings while going 2-2-1, but he's given up two or fewer goals in three of those five appearances. The 21-year-old netminder is expected to continue in a timeshare in the Canadiens' crease alongside Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Sharp in Wednesday's win
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Fowler made 28 saves in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Flames.
Joel Farabee spoiled Fowler's shutout bid late in the second period by sneaking a shot through a screen, but otherwise, the goaltender had an answer for everything Calgary fired his way. The 21-year-old Fowler has allowed two goals or fewer in four of his last five starts, going 3-1-1 with a dazzling 1.80 GAA and .930 save percentage over that stretch as he pushes for the top spot in the Habs' current three-man committee in the crease -- Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes have made just two starts each during that time.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: In goal Wednesday
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Fowler will get the starting nod at home versus the Flames on Wednesday, Patrick Friolet of RDS reports.
Fowler has put together middling numbers in his seven NHL outings this year, posting a 3-2-2 record, a 2.57 GAA and one shutout. With the 21-year-old netminder getting the nod in Wednesday's matchup, Sam Montembeault could get the second half of the back-to-back versus the Panthers on Thursday at home.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Solid effort in loss
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Fowler stopped 17 of 19 shots on net in Saturday's 2-0 loss to the Blues.
Fowler tended a decent game, which included a scoreless third period, but was outdueled by a Jordan Binnington shutout. With the loss, Fowler now holds a 3-2-2 record with a 2.57 GAA and a .903 save percentage through seven appearances this season. Saturday marked his fourth game allowing two goals or fewer in seven tries. The young netminder has held his own at the NHL level despite Montreal's recent inconsistencies in finding the win column. He is a solid spot start in fantasy for the time being and is trending toward taking over the lead role between the pipes. Sunday's second half of Montreal's back-to-back will likely go to Sam Montembeault, but Fowler could start Wednesday against the Flames.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Starting in St. Louis
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Fowler will defend the road net against the Blues on Saturday, per Canadiens beat reporter Priyanta Emrith.
Fowler made 17 saves on 21 shots in a 5-4 shootout loss to Tampa Bay last Sunday. He has a 3-1-2 record while allowing 16 goals on 167 shots in six NHL appearances this season. St. Louis sits 32nd in the league with 2.50 goals per game during the 2025-26 campaign.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Tagged with shootout loss
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Fowler stopped 18 of 22 shots in Sunday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Lightning.
Fowler has been very inconsistent from game to game, though that's to be expected for a rookie goaltender. Through his six starts, he's gone 3-1-2 with a 2.64 GAA and a .905 save percentage. However, even that number has been up and down. He's posted a save percentage of either at least .920 (three games) or at .850 or below (three games). Fowler should remain as the Canadiens' No. 2 goaltender until Sam Montembeault is able to challenge for more playing time.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Set to start Tuesday
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Fowler is slated to start Tuesday's road game against Boston, Patrick Friolet of RDS reports.
Fowler is coming off his first career shutout Saturday against the Penguins, and he'll draw the start in the Canadiens' final game ahead of the holiday break. Across four starts for Montreal this year, Fowler has gone 2-1-1 while allowing 10 goals on 118 shots for a .915 save percentage.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Records first career shutout
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Fowler posted a 31-save shutout in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Penguins.
Fowler was excellent between the posts and cruised to the first shutout of his career. He has recorded at least 30 saves in two of four starts in his young NHL career. The 21-year-old Fowler could be a candidate to return to the AHL after Sam Montembeault returns from his conditioning assignment with AHL Laval on Dec. 28, though Saturday's shutout helps Fowler's case for maintaining a role in Montreal's crowded crease alongside Montembeault and Jakub Dobes.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Gives up three goals
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Fowler stopped 17 of 20 shots in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Flyers. The fourth goal was an empty-netter in the final stages of the third period.
Fowler made his third start of the campaign, and he posted a save percentage of .850 or lower for a second straight contest. He's now given up eight goals over his last two outings. If Montreal decides not to carry three goaltenders, Fowler might return to the minors after Sam Montembeault returns from his conditioning assignment with AHL Laval on Sunday.
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Canadiens' Jacob Fowler: Getting starting nod versus Flyers
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Fowler will be between the home pipes against Philadelphia on Tuesday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.
Fowler struggled in his second NHL appearance versus the Rangers on Saturday, giving up five goals on 29 shots (.828 save percentage), though he still managed to secure his team a point with the overtime loss. While the Habs are still carrying all three netminders, it seems Sam Montembeault may be the odd man out, as he hasn't started since Dec. 2 versus Ottawa, a stretch of seven games without featuring in the crease. Still, another rough outing from Fowler could see him heading back to the minors.
