In the world of hockey, mistakes can be costly. This was a tough lesson learned by Montreal Canadiens’ rookie goaltender, Jacob Fowler, during his home ice debut. In a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, a significant error by Fowler in the dying minutes of the second period allowed the Flyers to take a 3-1 lead. Despite this setback, Fowler and the Canadiens are focusing on the learning opportunities this experience provides.
Canadiens’ goalie Fowler distraught with costly miscue in home ice debut
In his debut home outing, the 21-year-old Fowler made an error that led to the Flyers’ third goal, scored with under a minute to play in the second period. He misplayed the puck behind his own net, allowing Flyers forward Matvei Michkov to recover the loose puck and find linemate Bobby Brink in the slot for the goal.
“You just learn from it,” said Fowler. “I haven’t given up many of those in my career. Hopefully, that’s the last one. Learn from it, get back on the ice … and move forward.”
Fowler’s Performance Overshadowed by Mistake
It’s important to note that Fowler’s error came in an otherwise solid debut. He has been performing remarkably since being called up from the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, on Dec. 9. In fact, he started all but one of Montreal’s four games since his call-up.
“I prepare the same way,” said Fowler. “You’ve got to be ready at any moment. Obviously, it came fast, but everybody here has been great. They’ve made it easy on me to just be comfortable. Ultimately, I just got to go out there and execute.”
Impressive Beginnings and Future Expectations
Fowler made an impressive debut in the NHL, stopping 36 shots in his team’s 4-2 win against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. He followed this up with 24 saves in Montreal’s 5-4 overtime defeat to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Through his first three NHL starts, Fowler boasts a 3.32 goals-against average and .885 save percentage. “He’s handled himself really well to start off with, but the spotlight is big, especially for goalies,” said Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson. “He’s embracing it and just continues to do what he does.”
Montreal Canadiens Dealing with Goaltender Rotation
With fellow goaltender Samuel Montembeault sent to the Rocket for a conditioning assignment, it’s expected that Fowler will see even more action in the coming days. Montembeault last appeared in a game on Dec. 9 and has not started for Montreal since a 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 2.
Injury Update: Matheson on the Shelf
The Canadiens had to play without defenceman Mike Matheson for the first time this season. Matheson, who leads all Montreal skaters with an average ice time of 24 minutes 54 seconds, is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
“He plays the hardest minutes on the team and plays the full two minutes on the PK [penalty kill],” said Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki. “I thought our PK did a pretty good job tonight, though. It’s a tough guy to replace, for sure. Hopefully, we’ll get him back soon.”
