- Dobes made 26 saves in Game 3 win, Habs lead Sabres 2-1
- 24-year-old rookie deflects “hero” talk after Bell Centre ovation
- Read below for the full quote and video from the postgame media availability
Jakub Dobes is in no mood to be called a hero.
The Canadiens netminder stopped 26 of 28 shots in Sunday’s 6-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres at Bell Centre, giving Montreal a 2-1 series lead. The crowd showered him with “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants on the ice afterward, and he stood there looking like he had no idea what to do with himself.
Then someone asked about being a Montreal cult hero. His answer was perfect.
“I’m not a hero,” Dobes said, per NHL.com. “I’m just me. I’m just a goofy goalie who tries to stop pucks. Trust me, I don’t call myself a hero. I pretty much will go home, eat, watch Game of Thrones, and go to bed. I don’t think that’s anything heroic. And when it’s time to do my job, I will do anything to win and make this franchise, these fans happy, and hopefully will win on Tuesday.”
Watch the full Game 3 media availability:
The 24-year-old rookie didn’t even take Montreal’s net full-time until January. Now he’s the guy keeping the Habs alive through 10 playoff starts, all of them his. He’s sporting a .918 save percentage and has the Canadiens within two wins of a Conference Final berth.
Sunday’s loudest moment came before the final horn even sounded. The fans saw what Dobes had done and let him know:
The Canadiens posted their own version of the love letter:
Dobes briefly switched into broken French for the crowd. “Ca va?” he asked, and the Bell Centre answered with another roar. He smiled. He still had no clue what to do with the attention.
Game 4 is Tuesday at Bell Centre, same building, presumably the same goofy goalie. Montreal is one win from a 3-1 stranglehold after Cole Caufield finally snapped his playoff drought to help fuel the rout.
Wherever Westeros sits on Dobes’s watchlist, those fans don’t really care. They just want him grounded enough to keep doing this through May.
