Jakub Dobes relishes 1st game in Montreal: 'These guys are nuts'

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes definitely noticed the fans during his first-ever start at the Bell Centre on Sunday night.

"I might play on the road because these guys are nuts," he joked after the Habs' 5-4 overtime victory over the New York Rangers. "The best crowd I ever had. I said it before, it gives me goosebumps. ... I didn't want to look around because I knew, but I'm really happy to be part of this. This is the best place to play."

Dobes received a rousing cheer after making two game-saving stops in the extra frame.

Though it was Patrik Laine who scored the dagger in overtime, captain Nick Suzuki credited Dobes for keeping the Habs in it.

"He's the reason we won there in overtime," the forward said. "Big saves. We got kinda caught out there and he bailed us out. ... He's got a lot of confidence and he was itching to play at the Bell Centre. He had his big moment."

Dobes made 23 saves on 27 shots, but the rookie refused to take full credit for the win.

"I made two good saves in OT, but you guys gotta give it to the guys," he said. "I can take some credit, but these guys played unbelievable. ... Everyone has eyes, like, it wasn't the best game. The guys battled, they obviously came back, and I'm really proud of the team."

The Canadiens never held the lead until the very end of the back-and-forth contest, and Dobes admitted it was a learning experience.

"When the guys score, you cannot give up a goal right away, so that's something that I need to think of," he said. "I need to make sure that the momentum is on our side as long as possible."

Dobes is the 13th goalie to start his NHL career 5-0-0 and the fourth to do it in a Canadiens jersey, according to team reporter Priyanta Emrith.

The 23-year-old owns a sterling .940 save percentage and 1.55 goals against average so far this season. His other victories came against the Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, and Dallas Stars, which were all on the road.

Dobes revealed that his father - who he hadn't seen for around a year and a half - was in attendance for Sunday's clash.

"He's a big impact on my hockey career, so I just wanted to do good," he said with a smile. "Not everything was going my way today. It was a battle, definitely. My mind was definitely racing a little bit. But we got it done so we are going to celebrate with my dad."