Under the harsh spotlight of Ball Arena, Jakub Dobes stood alone in the crease, his mask flecked with sweat and frustration as the Avalanche poured in goal after goal. The scoreboard was merciless, the crowd relentless, and yet Martin St-Louis never reached for the backup—leaving the young netminder to weather the storm as social media erupted in disbelief. With each puck that found the back of the net, the tension grew thicker, the questions louder: why was Dobes still in, and what was St-Louis really trying to protect?

It was the kind of scene that instantly splits opinion—a rookie goalie, facing down one of the NHL’s most explosive offenses, absorbing a barrage of 36 shots and seven goals while the Montreal bench stayed silent. Fans and analysts watched in real time as the Canadiens’ hopes for a comeback vanished, replaced instead by a debate that was as much about psychology as it was about tactics. Was this tough love, a cruel lesson, or a calculated act of leadership?

The answer, as it turns out, wasn’t on the ice, but in the mind of Martin St-Louis. While the avalanche of goals left Dobes visibly shaken, a crucial detail surfaced after the game: St-Louis was protecting someone else entirely. Samuel Montembeault, fresh off two stellar performances, had finally regained his confidence after a rocky stretch. To throw him into a hopeless 5-1 deficit against the league’s best team would risk undoing weeks of progress—a risk St-Louis simply refused to take.

“Sam Montembeault just got his confidence back, no reason to bring him into a 5-1 losing game against the best team in the league,” one fan wrote, echoing the sentiment that quickly spread through the Canadiens community. The coach’s post-game comments confirmed the strategy: Montembeault’s psychological stability took priority, and Dobes, though battered, would finish what he started. For a young goalie trying to earn his place, facing the wrath of the Avalanche could be a painful but necessary lesson in NHL survival.

The decision was not without its critics. Social media flared with calls for mercy, with many demanding a change in net to halt the bleeding and spare Dobes further embarrassment. But as the dust settled, a surprising consensus emerged—St-Louis’s choice, while unconventional, made sense in the context of a tightly packed schedule and the fragile confidence of his goaltending duo.

As the Canadiens regroup and turn their attention to the next challenge, the ramifications of Saturday’s game linger. Will Dobes bounce back from the ordeal, armed with new experience and resilience? Can Montembeault maintain his momentum, shielded from the psychological scars of a blowout loss? And what does this episode reveal about St-Louis’s evolving approach to leadership and player management?

With lineup changes looming and the pressure mounting, the spotlight on Montreal’s crease has never been brighter. The answers may come slowly, but one thing is clear: in the chaos of a 7-2 defeat, Martin St-Louis made a choice that was as much about the future as it was about the present—and the hockey world is watching to see what happens next.

Martin St-Louis and Jakub Dobes

Photo credit: All Montreal Hockey / NHL

Saturday in Colorado, many fans wondered why Martin St-Louis didn’t pull Jakub Dobes despite the beating the Habs were taking.

The game was already out of reach, and the Avalanche were rolling at full speed.

The final score of 7-2 clearly reflects the awful night for the young goalie Dobes, who faced 36 shots and gave up seven goals. After the game, the fact that he was left in the net after the 5th, 6th, and 7th goals seemed strange.

During the game, social media heated up quickly. Many were asking for Samuel Montembeault to come in to settle things down and especially to spare Dobby. But an important detail surfaced after the game, and it really changes how the decision should be understood.

According to what has been said, St-Louis did not want to send Monty into a game where the score was already 5-1. He simply wanted to protect his confidence, especially since he had just put together two good games earlier.

In the end, that’s very understandable. A goalie who’s finding his footing again after a few difficult weeks does not need to jump into a game that’s already lost.

“Sam Montembeault just got his confidence back, no reason to bring him into a 5-1 losing game against the best team in the league.”

– Habs On Reddit

Martin St-Louis and the delicate management of his goaltenders

St-Louis also hinted in his post-game press conference that the priority at the moment was maintaining Montembeault’s psychological stability.

Dobes, for his part, played from start to finish. Even though the night stings, he still leaves with a lot of recent work under his belt over the past few weeks. For a young goalie trying to earn his place, facing 36 shots against one of the best teams can sometimes help him better understand the level of the league. However, it can also be tough on the morale.

We then understand why St-Louis stuck to his plan. The message for Montembeault was clear, and the one for Dobes as well. With such a tight schedule, a coach sometimes has to choose what causes the least damage. Yesterday, that was the choice. After the loss, the post-game comments from Josh Anderson and St-Louis summed up the frustration well.

Alex Carrier’s struggles during this road trip could also prompt a lineup change.

The next games will tell whether this approach pays off. But for once, a lot of people seem to agree on one thing: the decision made sense.