MONTREAL — Jakub Dobes is expected to start in goal for the Montreal Canadiens, and Logan Thompson potentially could be back in net for the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Bell Centre on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TBS, truTV, MNMT, MAX).
Dobes, a 23-year-old rookie, replaced an injured Sam Montembeault in the second period of Game 3 on Friday, a 6-3 Montreal win that cut Washington’s lead in the best-of-7 series to 2-1.
Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said Montembeault was day to day, but did not give specifics on his injury.
Montembeault did not participate in Montreal’s morning skate. Instead, Dobes was joined by Cayden Primeau, who was recalled from Laval of the American Hockey League prior to the skate. He is expected to back up Dobes.
“It’s about concentrating on what he can control,” St. Louis said of Dobes. “The crowd, the level of hockey you have to bring because it’s the playoffs, it’s a different level, but for me it’s about trusting the training, all he has done, and how he finished the season, trust that. His last two starts he was excellent for us at the end of the season and that helped us. I think Dobes has confidence. Trust your training.”
Thompson was on the ice for the Capitals morning skate two days after needing help getting off it by two teammates and Washington’s head athletic trainer following an injury sustained in the third period of Game 3. He will be evaluated during the day and a decision on his availability will be made prior to or during warmups, coach Spencer Carbery said.
Charlie Lindgren replaced Thompson in Game 3 and will start Game 4 if Thompson can’t go.
“I was happy it wasn’t anything significant that would keep him out an extended period of time,” Carbery said. “That was positive to see.”
Game 3 was Dobes’ Stanley Cup Playoff debut. He was 7-4-3 with a 2.74 goals-against average, .909 save percentage and one shutout in 16 games (15 starts) in the regular season.
“I think there’s no real reason for us to not have confidence in him,” Montreal forward Alex Newhook said. “Since he’s been here, we’ve had to play some big games, he’s had to play through some big moments, and he’s done really well in those games. We feel confident.”
Thompson started the first three games and has a 2.73 GAA and .917 save percentage, allowing eight goals on 96 shots. He gave up five goals on 35 shots before leaving Game 3 with his injury.
“He’s been a key part of this team all year long and any time you see a guy go down you kind of hold your breath and hope for the best,” Capitals forward Connor McMichael said. “We’ll see what happens, but it’s a real good sign that he’s out there.”
If Thompson can’t go, the Capitals have Lindgren, who played 39 games in the regular season, starting 38, and going 20-14-3 with a 2.73 GAA, .896 save percentage and one shutout.
The Capitals also could have forward Aliaksei Protas back in the lineup. Like Thompson, a decision on his availability will be made before or during warmups, Carbery said.
Protas hasn’t played since April 4, when he sustained a skate cut on his left foot in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He missed the last six games of the regular season and Games 1-3 against Montreal. He scored 30 goals and had 66 points in the regular season.
It’s unclear who would come out of the lineup to make room for Protas.
“We’ve been calling him our MVP all year,” Capitals forward Tom Wilson said.
Teams that lead a best-of-7 series 2-1 have gone on to win the series 68.8 percent of the time (386-175).
Here is a breakdown of Game 4:
Capitals: Poise with the puck will be key if they want to go home with a chance to close out the series in Game 5. Four of Montreal’s six goals in Game 3 came directly off Washington turnovers. It will be interesting to see if Carbery attempts to get Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin away from the Canadiens top line of Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield. The Capitals controlled the matchups in Games 1 and 2 and were able to match Montreal’s top line with Pierre-Luc Dubois, McMichael and Wilson, but with the last change swinging in the Canadiens direction here they were able to get the matchup they wanted. Suzuki, Caufield and Slafkovsky each scored a goal and totaled 19 shots on goal in Game 3, dominating the matchup against Strome and Ovechkin.
Canadiens: A big difference, as the Canadiens see it, for their success in Game 3 as opposed to losing Games 1 and 2 in Washington was how long they were able to sustain momentum. St. Louis talked about it before Game 3, saying the Canadiens have to be able to have momentum for longer stretches than they did in Games 1 and 2. They accomplished that in Game 3 and will look to do the same in Game 4. That means pressuring the Capitals all over the ice and staying physical, especially on the forecheck.
Number to know: 13. The Canadiens have not lost in regulation on home ice in 13 straight games since Feb. 9. They were 10-0-2 in 12 home games from Feb. 25 to the end of the regular season.
What to look for: Montreal’s top power-play unit has a different look with Ivan Demidov replacing Patrik Laine, who will not play for the second straight game (upper body, day to day). Demidov’s left-handed shot provides a more balanced look for the Canadiens. Laine is a righty. The unit also features lefties Lane Hutson, who runs the power play at the point, and Slafkovsky, and righties Caufield and Suzuki. Game 3 was the first time that unit played together. With more work, the unit’s cohesiveness should grow, giving Montreal another weapon. Demidov could benefit too. St. Louis said the more touches with time and space he gets on the power play could translate into more confidence for the 19-year-old at 5-on-5.
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