Canadiens roster move ahead of facing Senators hint at a large advantage in Canadian rival matchup
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Jacob Fowler gets recalled, and the Montreal Canadiens are daring the crease to finally calm down against the Ottawa Senators.
This came out Wednesday morning, and it hit like a siren because it is not just a paper move.
HL Hockey Montreal reports the Canadiens recalled Fowler from the Laval Rocket, then immediately pointed to him as the likely starter in Ottawa.
That is the real headline, a rookie goalie getting pushed into a divisional game on the second night of a back to back.
Jakub Dobes played Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the staff apparently did not want to run him again right away.
It also reads like a loud message about Samuel Montembeault, because the «normal» plan would have been his net, and it did not happen.
Fowler is 21, and the organization has treated him like the long-term answer between the pipes.
He was drafted in 2023, third round, 69th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens, so this is not some random dart throw.
Jacob Fowler and Montreal Canadiens raise the stakes
Honestly, Habs fans are tired of the soft goals and the «next game will be better» speeches, so a move like this feels equal parts hope and panic.
If Fowler starts, the skaters owe him clean exits and fewer east-west gifts in the slot.
Ottawa will test his tracking with layered traffic, and that is where young goalies get rattled fast.
This is also a roster chess move, because carrying three goalies in the NHL gets messy in a hurry.
If Fowler looks composed, the room gets a spark, and the staff buys time to sort out Montembeault's place.
If it goes sideways, it is still a reminder that the blue line, not just the goalie, has to own the chaos.
Either way, Wednesday in Ottawa suddenly feels like a turning point, not «just another game.»
Also read on Blade of steel :
Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes proves why goalies are a little weird
Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes proves why goalies are a little weird
| POLL | ||
MARS 11|39 ANSWERS Canadiens roster move ahead of facing Senators hint at a large advantage in Canadian rival matchup Should Jacob Fowler start for the Montreal Canadiens against the Ottawa Senators? | ||
| Yes | 30 | 76.9 % |
| No | 9 | 23.1 % |
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