Enter Patrick Lalime, the previous NHL goaltender who’s now a broadcaster and covers the NHL and the Canadiens for TVA Sports activities 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 Sabres 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 Sport 7 of the Japanese Convention Quarterfinals between the Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs on April 20, 2004, the Maple Leafs gained 4-1 thanks partly to 2 first-period objectives from ahead Joe Nieuwendyk that squeezed by way of the five-hole of Lalime. To at the present time 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 your self what you might have finished otherwise,” Lalime instructed NHL.com final April. “It took years to recover from it. You wish to accomplish that effectively in your teammates. Time helps. However you don’t fully overlook, particularly because it got here in opposition to the Maple Leafs, the crew we wished to beat so unhealthy.”
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 simply tried to cheer him up a bit,” Lalime mentioned Thursday. “You realize, you come into the League and it’s simple to get carried away with one sport. You’ve obtained to appreciate it’s a future, an extended season, an extended profession. He’s an emotional child and at all times can be as a result of that’s who he’s, however I simply instructed him to remain the course and see the massive image.”
These phrases finally 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 by way of 5 video games than Vasilevskiy by way of wins (3-2), goals-against common (2.49-2.68) and save share (.903-.880).
“I’ve been impressed the best way he’s dealt with the matchup in opposition to Vasilevskiy,” Lalime mentioned. “You don’t actually play in opposition to the opposite goalie, however you additionally know a man like that hardly ever slips up. And I feel he’s 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 dealt with the entire yr. And he’s been true to himself. If he feels one thing, he says it. However on the ice, he’s dialed in.”
Ought to he proceed to be that means in Sport 6, the Canadiens very a lot may punch their ticket into the second spherical. For his half, Dobes is champing on the bit for the electrical environment that awaits him and his teammates as soon as once more at Bell Centre.
“We will’t wait,” Dobes mentioned. “It’s going to be loopy. And we can be prepared. I understand how excited our followers can be.
“Thrilling instances.”
And, ultimately, ought to the Canadiens prevail and win the collection, don’t be stunned to see tears as soon as once more trickle down his cheeks.
Solely this time, they’ll be tears of pleasure.