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Saturday Habs Headlines: The unflappable Jakub Dobeš

In today’s links, Dobeš thrives on opponents’ banter, Canadiens big in Slovakia and Czechia, solid work from Newhook and Demidov, Dobson on the coaching adjustments, Lindy Ruff unhappy with SDabres’ play, news from the other series, and Macklin Celebrini leads Team Canada.

Posted on by Justin Blades
May 8, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Montréal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) waits for the face-off during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres in game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. | Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Montreal Canadiens news and notes

  • Jake Evans has some words of caution for any Buffalo Sabres players who want to get in Jakub Dobeš’s kitchen: “When he gets bothered, he’s even better.” [Journal de Montreal]
  • Nick Suzuki was happy with what he saw from the Newhook-Evans-Demidov line. [The Athletic]
  • Ivan Demidov has helped the Canadiens hem the Sabres in their zone when he’s on the ice. Evans wants to help turn that into goals for the rookie. [RDS]
  • With Juraj Slafkovský and Dobeš two of the stars for Montreal, the Canadiens have a lot of fans in both Slovakia and the Czech Republic during this playoff run. [TVA Sports]
  • Martin St-Louis is happy with the level of maturity the young Habs are showing in putting losses behind them. [RDS]
  • Noah Dobson appreciates the bite-sized instructions St-Louis gives the players, and credits that for how easily they make game-to-game adjustments. [The Athletic]
  • Chris Pronger discusses the differences in the games of elite defencemen Lane Hutson and Rasmus Dahlin. [The Athletic]
  • “I said it after the first game: our puck play wasn’t good enough,” Lindy Ruff admitted after a poor job from his team at securing its possessions. [Journal de Montreal]
  • A “Go Habs Go!” banner was installed on the air traffic control tower at Trudeau Airport. [TVA Sports]

Around the league and elsewhere

  • Mitch Marner had a natural hat trick in the Vegas Golden Knights’ 6-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks to take a 2-1 series lead. [NHL.com]
  • Nikolaj Ehlers is the game-breaker the Carolina Hurricanes have been looking for. [NHL.com]
  • The Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche are backing up their regular-season conference titles with undefeated playoff starts. [Sportsnet]
  • Already one of the game’s top players, Quinn Hughes has reached a higher level in this post-season. [Sportsnet]
  • Macklin Celebrini and Mark Scheifele are headline players on Team Canada’s World Championship roster. [Sportsnet]
  • The top 20 players in the 2026 UFA class. [The Athletic]
  • The unexpected plummets by the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs played perfectly into the hands of the Boston Bruins, who had draft picks tied to their fates. [La Presse]
  • Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid are the finalists for the Hart Trophy. [NHL.com]
  • Evan Gold, Scott White, and Ryan Johnson appear to be the main men in the running for Vancouver Canucks general manager position. [Sportsnet]

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