Jakub Dobes does not need to dissect the statistics of his first campaign in the Laval Rocket uniform to deduce that it was marked by ups and downs. By his own admission, he has heard and read such a refrain on a few occasions. That said, he does not feel any bitterness, because he considers that these “roller coaster” rides have been beneficial to him.
When he showed up at Place Bell a year ago, Dobes was immediately identified as the Rocket’s number one goalie. However, his first outings did not meet the expectations based on him.
It all started in the opening game, against the Abbotsford Canucks, in which he allowed five goals on 15 shots, in just over 36 minutes of action. Two games and 10 goals conceded later, Dobes had a 5.83 GAA and a paltry .842 save percentage.
November was better, but just barely. Then came another nightmarish night against Abbotsford, even shorter than the first, on December 2. In less than four minutes of play, Dobes had conceded three goals on seven shots.
“It’s definitely not easy, but it’s part of a process,” Dobes said in an interview with The Canadian Press on Wednesday, looking back on his start to the season last year.
“I’m happy to have gotten through this more difficult stage of a hockey season. I feel like overall my season last year was one of the best of my career because there was so much to learn and so much to improve on. For me, it was perfect and I wouldn’t change anything about what I experienced last year. I know people have said I didn’t have a good first half of the season, but they don’t see how much it helped me become better, become the goalie I am today . »
Dobes managed to bounce back from his tough night in Abbotsford, to the point where he finished the season with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.
He also looked good in his two outings at the Canadiens’ training camp, where he posted a 1.39 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage in just over 86 minutes of play. ‘action.
“I think my performance was solid. I tried to apply what I learned last year in Laval and play with confidence. I have nothing to lose and that was my attitude. I’m not so surprised that I did well because I feel like everyone is working to take me to a different level. I hope to continue this at the start of the regular season. »
From the moment he took his game up a notch, Dobes became one of the busiest goalies in the American League. In fact, he dominated the circuit with 51 matches, including 40 from December.
It remains to be seen, now, how head coach Pascal Vincent intends to employ Dobes.
“He has a big size, which is very interesting. He played a lot of matches last year, and it was excellent. On the other hand, there is a line that we do not want to cross,” declared the Rocket head coach.
Elaborating on this particular point, Vincent believes that goalkeepers, and especially young goalkeepers at the start of their professional careers, can certainly improve during matches, but especially during training and during individual sessions.
“We know he wants to play every game, like all goalkeepers,” added Vincent when asked what he knew about Dobes.
“We know that there are high hopes for him because he has the athletic qualities, he has the stature, and the performances of the past ensure that he is a goalkeeper of the future for the organization. But it stops there, in the sense that I don’t know him yet,” he also clarified.
