Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes revealed the trash talk he said to Nikita Kucherov during his team’s pivotal Game 7 win on Sunday.
The Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 to advance to the second round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs with a 2-1 victory. Although the Lightning had 29 shots on goal compared to just 9 shots for Montreal, it was the Canadiens who were able to come through with a clutch victory, with much of the credit going to their rookie goalie, Dobes.
Playing all seven games of the first-round series, Dobes went 4-3 with a 2.03 GAA and .923 SV%, which are truly elite numbers. His strong play in net is one of the reasons why the Canadiens were able to defeat the vaunted Lightning and move on to the next round of the playoffs, allowing the team to continue to fight for the Stanley Cup.
Jakub Dobes Reveals What He Told Nikita Kucherov
Speaking with the NHL on TNT crew following their Game 7 win, Dobes revealed what he told the Lightning superstar Kucherov as the two players skated off the ice at the end of the second period, a moment that was captured on camera.
“To be honest, he was probably chirping at me a lot almost every single period. He said something, and I said pretty much, ‘I know you guys are nervous,’ and that was the end of the conversation,” Dobes said. “I just wanted to show him that I’m confident, too. He’s an elite player, but we have really good players, too, and we don’t lack confidence in our locker room. This kind of stuff is only going to make us better. That’s what happened. Nothing too crazy, just a little exchange.”
Canadiens Take On Buffalo Sabres in All-Atlantic Battle
In the next round, the Canadiens will take on the Buffalo Sabres in a battle of two Atlantic Division teams. This should be an amazing series, as these are two of the best young teams in hockey, and two squads that will likely be in the playoffs for making years to come.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the oddsmakers have set the betting odds for this series at -110 a piece, meaning it’s a true Pick ’em, odds that seem very fair considering the talent that both of these squads have. As impressive as the Canadiens were in taking out the Lightning in the first round, it was equally impressive seeing what the Sabres did to the Boston Bruins, whom they defeated in six games. There is no doubt that this Canadiens vs. Sabres series is going to be an all-out war.
If the Canadiens are going to win this series, then it will take a complete team effort, but Dobes continuing his strong play in net will certainly help. He was already a confident young man, but after he was able to beat the Lightning and fire back at Kucherov with his lips, you just know that his confidence is going to reach another level as the Canadiens take on Buffalo in the next round.
Jakub Dobes Reveals Trash Talk to Nikita Kucherov in Pivotal Game 7 Win