Big surprise for the Montreal Canadiens involving a goalie before Game 4
Jaroslav Halak is inside the Bell Centre tonight, and the timing is loud. Game 4 against the Hurricanes. Jakub Dobes turning 25. Canadiens trailing the series 2-1.
Karine Hains posted the sighting Wednesday afternoon. A familiar face from 2010 walking back into the building on the day Montreal needs a goaltending miracle to even the series.
Martin St-Louis has bled this group through two straight overtime losses. Both games ended 3-2 for Carolina. Both could have flipped on one bounce.
The Canadiens won Game 1 in Raleigh 6-2 and looked like they'd cracked the code. Two games later, they're staring at 1-2 and a Hurricanes club that finished the regular season at 53-22-7.
That's the second-best record in the league walking into Montreal with momentum. Rod Brind'Amour's group held home ice, then stole two in overtime at the Bell.
And now Halak shows up.
Why a 25-year-old Czech goalie just inherited the building's biggest moment
Dobes finished the regular season at .901 in 43 games, with 20 wins for a Habs team that pushed to 106 points and the sixth seed.
He's not Carey Price. He's not even the guy Montreal signed long-term in net. Samuel Montembeault sat at .873 across 25 outings this year, and the crease behind Dobes feels thin.
What does St-Louis do if it goes sideways in the first period? That's the part nobody wants to answer out loud.
The series math is simple. Lose tonight and the Hurricanes go up 3-1 with Game 5 in Raleigh. Win, and the whole thing resets.
Frederik Andersen has been ordinary by his standards, posting a .874 save percentage over 35 regular-season starts. He's beatable. The Canadiens have already proven it once in this series.
Cole Caufield buried 51 goals this year. Nick Suzuki put up 101 points. Lane Hutson logged 78 from the back end as a 22-year-old. The firepower exists.
The question is whether a kid celebrating his birthday in a playoff crease can outduel a 36-year-old Dane in a building that just watched a ghost from 2010 walk through the door.
Puck drops at 8 p.m.
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MAY 27, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Nikolaj Ehlers | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Sebastian Aho | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jordan Staal | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Logan Stankoven | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jackson Blake | - | 1 | 1 | |
| K'Andre Miller | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| William Carrier | - | - | - | |
| Cole Caufield | - | - | - | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | - | - | |
| Kirby Dach | - | - | - | |
| Phillip Danault | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Demidov | - | - | - | |
| Jakub Dobes | - | - | - | |
| Noah Dobson | - | - | - | |
| Jake Evans | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||