It’s still very early on in the new NHL season, but the Montreal Canadiens have a marquee matchup on their schedule this week when the Carolina Hurricanes will come to town on Tuesday evening in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch from this past June.
Through two games played, the Canadiens are 1-0-1. The Hurricanes come into this contest with 3 games played (1-1-1 record).
Before the Hurricanes game on Tuesday, the Canadiens announced a notable Jakub Dobeš decision.
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Jakub Dobeš Defending Home Crease on Tuesday
Tuesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes marks the home opener for the Habs.
Jakub Dobeš will defend the home crease and get the start on Tuesday evening.
CBSSports.com’s RotoWire staff wrote:
“Dobes will get his shot to bounce back against Carolina in Tuesday’s Eastern Conference Finals rematch. In the five-game series late in the 2025-26 postseason, the 25-year-old backstop fought hard, but was ultimately bested, posting a 1-4-0 record, a 3.05 GAA and a .903 save percentage. He’ll also be looking to get on the right track in 2026-27, as he’s posted a 1-0-1 record, a 4.03 GAA and an .863 save percentage across two outings. Tuesday’s matchup projects to be a tough one for Dobes, but he’s still worth starting in fantasy due to his revenge-game appeal.”
Other quick notes from the Canadiens side of things for this game: Alexandre Carrier is expected to play, while Ivan Demidov will not, as he’s expected to miss the next few weeks with an injury.
Oliver Kapanen has also been ruled out for the game, per Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette.
Again, it’s still VERY early in the new NHL season, but the Canadiens will likely be playing with a chip on their shoulder against the Hurricanes, who sort of outclassed them in the ECF in June.
After winning the first game in the series, the Canadiens dropped the next four games to lose in five, allowing the Hurricanes to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, which they eventually won.
Montreal Canadiens Announce Jakub Dobeš Decision Before Hurricanes Game