The Montreal Canadiens are on track to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026. Captain Nick Suzuki is having a career season, and goaltender Jakub Dobes has continued to improve every game. On Sunday, they came together to help Montreal earn a huge win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Suzuki scored three points — two of them being goals — in a 3-1 victory. As a result, Suzuki now has a career-high 91 points. Dobes, meanwhile, made 34 saves in the crease to aid the Habs. After the game, Dobes received massive praise from his captain.
“He’s really finding himself as a goalie in this league,” Suzuki said, via NHL.com. “He’s been there for us every single time he’s been in the net. He made some unbelievable saves tonight when we didn’t really have our best game.”
Dobes did not enter the season as the team's No. 1 option in goal. However, he quickly earned the primary job between the pipes. With this win, the young netminder has improved to 25-8-4 on the 2025-26 campaign. He entered this contest with 22.05 Goals Saved Above Expected, according to Evolving Hockey.
The Canadiens improved to 42-21-10 on the year, good for 94 points. Montreal owns a two-point lead over the Boston Bruins for third in the Atlantic Division. Meanwhile, they are four points back of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres, who are tied on points for the top spot in the division.
Montreal is chasing a 25th Stanley Cup, and its first since 1993. If Dobes and Suzuki can continue their level of play, the Habs certainly have a chance to achieve this goal. The Canadiens return to the ice on Tuesday night when they travel to face the Lightning.
