Dobes’ raise key for Canadiens ahead of Game 6 against Lightning
Enter Patrick Lalimethe previous NHL goaltender who’s now a broadcaster and covers the NHL and the Canadiens for TVA Sports in Quebec.
Lalime himself had a strong NHL profession, going 200-174-16 with 32 ties in 444 video games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabers from 1996-2011.
And but, in spite of everything these highs, he may relate to Dobes’ state of affairs, particularly how the lows can gnaw at a goalie.
In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs on April 20, 2004, the Maple Leafs received 4-1 thanks partially to 2 first-period targets from ahead Joe Nieuwendyk that squeezed via the five-hole of Lalime. To today Lalime, who was pulled for the beginning of the second interval with Toronto up 3-0, is aware of he ought to have stopped each.
“You ask yourself what you could have done differently,” Lalime informed NHL.com final April. “It took years to get over it. You want to do so well for your teammates. Time helps. But you don’t completely forget, especially since it came against the Maple Leafs, the team we wanted to beat so bad.”
As such, Lalime sympathized with Dobes’ emotional struggles. So, a couple of week after Dobes had cried in entrance of reporters and TV cameras, Lalime had a heart-to-heart chat with him.
“I just tried to cheer him up a bit,” Lalime mentioned Thursday. “You know, you come into the League and it’s easy to get away with one game. You’ve got to realize it’s a long run, a long season, a long career. He’s an emotional kid and always will be because that’s who he is, but I just told him to stay the course and see the big picture.”
Those phrases ultimately appeared to resonate. Dobes took over the starter’s job on Jan. 27 and posted 14 wins the remainder of the season, trailing solely Vasilevskiy (16) and the Dallas Stars’ Jake Oettinger (16) in that span.
Carrying that momentum into the postseason, he has higher numbers via 5 video games than Vasilevskiy in phrases of wins (3-2), goals-against common (2.49-2.68) and save share (.903-.880).
“I’ve been impressed the way he’s handled the matchup against Vasilevskiy,” Lalime mentioned. “You do not actually play against the opposite goalie, however you additionally know a man like that hardly ever slips up. And I believe he is been very strong all through the collection, very calm on and off the ice. Very in management.
“He’s stayed the course. I’ve been impressed with how he’s handled the whole year. And he’s been true to himself. If he feels something, he says it. But on the ice, he’s dialed in.”
Should he proceed to be that means in Game 6, the Canadiens very a lot may punch their ticket into the second spherical. For his half, Dobes is championing on the bit for the electrical environment that awaits him and his teammates as soon as once more at Bell Centre.
“We can’t wait,” Dobes mentioned. “It’s going to be loopy. And we might be prepared. I understand how excited our followers might be.
“Exciting times.”
And, in the long run, ought to the Canadiens prevail and win the collection, do not be stunned to see tears as soon as once more trickle down his cheeks.
Only this time, they will be tears of pleasure.
