The Montreal Canadiens watched a chance to help Jakub Dobes regain his footing slip away.
Cole Caufield acknowledged the pressure surrounding his teammate afterward.
Following Montreal’s 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, Oct. 20, Caufield noted the attention Dobes has seen during a wearing start.
“It’s definitely a lot of the outside noise that he might be dealing with,” Caufield said, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.
Dobes’ interference penalty in overtime gave San Jose the opening to finish its comeback. Macklin Celebrini scored the winner on the ensuing power play.
Caufield Addresses Pressure on Dobes After Costly Penalty
Dobes stood at 1-2-1 before Tuesday and allowed six goals against Pittsburgh and five apiece against Carolina and Washington, Engels reported.
Jacob Fowler’s strong performances had intensified the competition for starts.
For much of Tuesday, Dobes looked to be moving toward a better conclusion. He made important saves, and Montreal held a 3-1 lead into the third period.
Then came the collapse and the penalty.
Per Daniel Rainbird of The Canadian Press, Dobes extended his arm to interfere with Sharks forward Collin Graf while the Canadiens controlled the puck in overtime.
Caufield recognized Dobes’ competitiveness but considered the play unnecessary in that situation. Juraj Slafkovsky, on the other hand, aimed at supporting his teammate and helping the team recover from penalties.
Montreal can know the mistake and still back the player responsible for it.
But the key piece is turning that support into a steadier performance.
The urgency seems higher, though, as Caufield’s comments showed that his teammate’s situation had become part of the postgame discourse.
Canadiens’ Collapse Complicates Upcoming Goalie Decisions
Dobes finished with 26 saves. Caufield, Slafkovsky and Nick Suzuki each supplied a goal and an assist.
Michael Misa and Tyler Toffoli scored in the third period before Celebrini nailed the overtime winner.
Montreal’s lead had disappeared before Dobes took his penalty, so the Canadiens have more to address than one decision by their goalie.
Coach Martin St. Louis expressed frustration with the team’s game management, telling Sportsnet that “this game should be over” when Montreal held its two-goal advantage.
The Associated Press noted Montreal had surrendered a two-goal advantage for the fourth time this season.
That pattern puts the focus on how the Canadiens handle favorable situations across the lineup. Better decisions before overtime would also reduce the burden on whoever starts in goal.
In a column for The Hockey News, Karine Hains identified the upcoming Heritage Classic as an important goaltending decision for St. Louis.
Montreal visits Winnipeg for the outdoor game Sunday, Oct. 25. Hains suggested a strong Fowler performance against Chicago on Friday could strengthen his case to start the showcase event.
On the other side of the goalie room, Dobes will need to give Montreal cause to trust him with an upcoming opportunity.
Canadiens’ Cole Caufield Addresses Struggling Playoff Hero