Canadiens’ Jakub Dobes emotional after OT loss to Devils: ‘Disappointed in myself’

Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender Jakub Dobes was emotional when speaking with reporters following a 4-3 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils Thursday night.

The 24-year-old allowed four goals on 28 shots, including a Jesper Bratt backhand that slipped between the five-hole off a breakaway 93 seconds into overtime. It was the Czech netminder’s first loss of any kind this season.

“We played good enough to win, just not good enough from my side,” Dobes told reporters. “I don’t know, (it’s) really hard.”

One reporter asked if there was any specific reason why Dobes, playing in just his 23rd career NHL game, was so disappointed with the result.

“I mean, it just sucks. It happened last year … losing to (the Devils) in OT, so (I’m) just disappointed in myself,” he said, referring to a 4-3 overtime loss against New Jersey from January 2025 that saw Dobes stop 40 shots in a losing effort.

When asked if he takes the loss personally, he immediately responded: “Yeah.”

Dobes now possesses a 6-0-1 record with a .920 save percentage (SV%) with a 2.25 goals against average (GAA). In 23 career NHL games, Dobes is 13-4-4 with a .912 SV% and 2.58 GAA.

Taken in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Dobes spent parts of three seasons with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, where he compiled a 33-21-7 record with a .906 SV% and 2.82 GAA in 65 appearances.

Before turning professional, Dobes spent two seasons with the NCAA’s Ohio State Buckeyes, where he played 75 games and posted a 42-28-5 record with a .926 SV% and 2.29 GAA. In his rookie campaign, he was named to the Big Ten’s First All-Star Team, its co-winner for Rookie of the Year and the conference’s Best Goaltender.

The Canadiens are now 9-3-2 with 20 points through their first 14 games of the 2025-26 season, first in the Atlantic Division and the fourth-best record in the NHL. Their next game is Saturday when they host the Utah Mammoth.