Jakub Dobes fires back at Islanders player following emotional outburst
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Skyler Walker
Mar 25, 2026 (10:04)
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Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Jakub Dobes gave Martin St-Louis' Canadiens a lift Saturday when the backup goalie stepped in after an Islanders player crossed the line.
The moment didn't come from a save or a big stop in the crease.
It came from the space between the benches, where Dobes heard something he felt could not be ignored.
Montreal was rolling toward a 7-3 win over the New York Islanders at the Bell Centre, but the score wasn't the only story coming out of that game.
Tension on the Islanders' side had started to spill over.
Dobes was dressed as the backup, so he had a clear seat for the chatter going back and forth.
When one Islanders player directed an unacceptable remark toward a Canadiens player, Dobes stepped up and alerted the officials.
That matters. A lot of players hear things in the heat of a game and keep moving, especially in a loud building and a one-sided result. Dobes chose a different route.
«I heard everything that was going on between the benches. There was something that one player (from NYI) said that shouldn't be said. I just told the referees: 'Please be careful, this stuff doesn't belong in the game.»
He didn't need to make it about himself. He simply made sure the referees knew what was being said and asked them to keep an eye on it before the situation got any worse.
Dobes saw the moment and acted fast
The exact comment has not been made public, and that leaves a lot unanswered.
But the fact Dobes felt the need to report it tells you it went beyond normal bench jawing.
That's where the line sits in this sport.
Players can chirp, lean into emotion, and try to get under each other's skin, but there's a point where it stops being gamesmanship and starts being unacceptable.
For Montreal, the play from Dobes says something about the room.
He wasn't on the ice, yet he still protected a teammate and backed the standard the Canadiens are trying to hold.
For the Islanders, it adds another layer to a miserable night. Getting run out of the building is bad enough.
Letting frustration turn into something worse is even more damaging.
Dobes heard it, recognized it, and made sure it did not slide. In a game that already had plenty of noise, that was the response people remembered most.
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