Dobes’ shaky start and cautious front office: Canadiens evening report

Goaltending is front and centre in Montreal this evening. As reported by Daily Faceoff and echoed in The Hockey News’ Morning Skate, Jakub Dobes has had a rough opening stretch, posting an .841 save percentage over his first four appearances. For a team that took noticeable steps forward last season under Martin St. Louis, those early numbers are drawing scrutiny.

Canadiens want to act, but protect current roster

On Sportsnet, the word out of Montreal is that management feels pressure to upgrade the team, yet is hesitant to sacrifice players from the existing roster. Their stance is contrasted with the way Toronto handled the Kirill Marchenko deal, where a roster player was part of the equation. For the Canadiens, the preference appears to be finding ways to improve without touching the core already in place.

In the rumour mill, The Hockey News notes that fan-driven pushes to convince Dylan Larkin to come to Montreal haven’t led anywhere. The same roundup mentions speculation tying Connor Hellebuyck to the New York Rangers, a scenario presented as unlikely and not directly involving the Canadiens. Over at The Hockey Writers, Montreal is included among clubs with slower-than-hoped starts, and three key Habs are singled out as needing to elevate their play to help spark the team.

The Hockey Writers also took the opportunity to look back on the blockbuster trade that sent Chris Chelios and a second-round pick from the Canadiens to the Chicago Blackhawks, a reminder of how one major deal can shape a franchise’s history for years.

Sabres up next after tight loss in Washington

On the ice, the Canadiens are coming off a 5–4 loss to the Capitals in Washington on Wednesday night. The game was close on the scoreboard, but Montreal left the U.S. capital without adding to its point total.

The Habs now have two days to regroup before hosting the Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Montreal time. Sitting seventh in the Atlantic Division at 3-3-1 with 7 points in 7 games, the Canadiens are firmly in the middle of the pack. The matchup with Buffalo is another chance to steady their game, offer better support in front of their goalies and, for a few slow-starting contributors, respond to the growing calls for more.