For their final home game of the 2025 calendar year, the Montreal Canadiens hosted Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Looking to build on a strong performance in their last outing against the Pens, the Habs turned to rookie Jacob Fowler to backstop them again. He responded with the best performance of his young career, stopping all 31 saves he faced for his first career shutout in a 4-0 win.
Fowler’s brilliant performance drew a standing ovation from the fans after the game, but left management with quite the decision to make heading into the holidays.
Closer look, what a save by Jacob Fowler. pic.twitter.com/AATIIqyGlJ
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) December 21, 2025
This win wouldn’t qualify as a steal by Fowler, but it could have been a lot closer if not for his sheer excellence in net. He made the big saves, he gave up next to nothing in terms of rebounds, and looked every bit like a bonafide NHL starter. It was the first shutout this team has seen all year, and it wasn’t handed to him, he had to earn it.
Through four starts, Fowler now sports a .915 save percentage and a 2.49 GAA, which both lead the way among the three Habs goaltenders. The caveat to this is that it is a small sample, and while a performance like last night’s sure makes you feel like he can keep it going, there is no guarantee that happens. Jakub Dobeš may not have those numbers, but has only allowed two goals in his last two starts, winning both games.
Then you have Samuel Montembeault, whose struggles this year are well documented, and is expected to rejoin the team today, if not in the coming days. He had a strong performance, albeit in a loss for the Laval Rocket last night, and keeping him there beyond his conditioning stint would require putting him on waivers. He’ll be back on the roster soon enough, and something will have to give, because carrying three goaltenders again isn’t a situation that anyone will be too thrilled about.
Rolling with the tandem of Dobeš and Fowler moving forward sure seems hard to pass up. They’d be sacrificing experience, as Montembeault has multiple individual seasons with more appearances than the two have combined in their careers. But on sheer eye test through a small sample, these are the two best goalies they have right now.
Does Kent Hughes try to work a trade involving Montembeault? Can he even find such a trade with how the season has gone for him so far? Does he hope that Montembeault can return to form and send Fowler back to Laval? Dobeš? It’s a big decision, and luckily, one that he can mull over a bit during the holidays.
I don’t know what direction he’ll go in, but I also don’t know how you can look Jacob Fowler in the eyes and tell him it’s not his time right now.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back tonight, as the same two teams will do it again in Pittsburgh.
