Canadiens’ Jakub Dobes embracing villain mentality ahead of East Final vs. Hurricanes

It’s been an incredible rookie season for Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, who has led the most storied franchise in the National Hockey League to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in five years.

The Habs beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1 and the Buffalo Sabres in Round 2, both in seven games, and both by a single goal. The 24-year-old has been a key reason why, as he’s given Montreal a chance to win every time he’s between the pipes.

And, as he told reporters ahead of a matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes, he’s embracing his role as a villain in his first Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Their fans like to chant my name, so I like that,” Dobes said of the Sabres fans at KeyBank Center, who serenaded him throughout the second-round series, per NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger.

“Thank you. Thanks for that. Actually, that was giving me fire because I like when you’re the villain (and) you’re in this situation.”

Dobes and the Canadiens got the last laugh, beating the Sabres 3-2 in overtime of Game 7 on Monday night in Western New York. It was a terrific series and a strong showing by both clubs, but only one can go on to play the Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes, who are a perfect 8-0 in the postseason.

“Look, we know how to bounce back,” Dobes continued. “We just keep getting experience. And I think that every round, every game, every experience makes us a better team for the playoffs and for the future because we are a really young group and we are learning a lot.”

It’s been a roller coaster and then some for the Habs, who are the youngest team to advance to a conference final since 1993. That was the year they won both the franchise’s and Canada’s last Stanley Cup, and they know the job isn’t even close to finished.

But the road gets even tougher against a Hurricanes team that swept both the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, and has had over a week of rest since the end of Round 2.

Game 1 gets underway on Thursday night from the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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