{"id":531223,"date":"2026-03-12T10:47:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T10:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/531223\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:47:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T10:47:16","slug":"montreals-fowler-finds-his-form-after-call-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/531223\/","title":{"rendered":"Montreal\u2019s Fowler finds his form after call-up"},"content":{"rendered":"

OTTAWA \u2013 Martin St. Louis may have tough decisions ahead.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Montreal Canadiens coach raised eyebrows when he announced Jacob Fowler would start Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators.<\/p>\n

The 21-year-old was instrumental, however, in Montreal\u2019s 3-2 victory with 32 saves.<\/p>\n

After his recall from the American Hockey League\u2019s Laval Rocket, Fowler was in Ottawa ahead of his teammates Tuesday while Jakub Dobes made 17 saves in Montreal\u2019s 3-1 win over the Maple Leafs in Toronto.<\/p>\n

Samuel Montembeault was Dobes\u2019 backup in Toronto, but the Canadiens still opted to recall Fowler.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d played his first 10 NHL games earlier this season. Fowler from Melbourne, Fla., went 4-4-2 with a .903 save percentage and a 2.62 goals-against average in that stretch. His previous appearance was Jan. 15 against the Buffalo Sabres.<\/p>\n

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With the Canadiens (36-18-10) looking to firmly lock down a playoff spot, it\u2019s clear St. Louis was willing to go with whoever he felt provides his team with the best chance to win.<\/p>\n

He was impressed by his young goaltender\u2019s composure in a game that had playoff intensity. The Senators (32-23-9) are on the outside of the playoffs and fighting to gain ground.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI thought he battled,\u201d said St. Louis. \u201cHe made some huge saves for us. It\u2019s such a game of inches in terms of winning and losing and it usually comes down to your goaltender and I thought he did that \u2026this game could have gone either way and I think Fowler did the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Teammates were quick to recognize their young goaltender\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know what he\u2019s capable of, but I mean some of those saves he made late in the game there is a big reason why we won the game,\u201d said Alex Newhook. \u201cA lot of credit to him. Great to see.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Fowler wasn\u2019t as nervous as he was in his debut Dec. 11, when he had 33 saves in a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first experience had me a little bit more ready for this,\u201d said Fowler. \u201cBefore (it) was a little bit more new stuff. Here, I was just kind of rejoining a team I felt I was a part of and super-happy to be a part of this team and great win for our group.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fowler lauded his teammates\u2019 efforts in the final three minutes Wednesday when Ottawa pressed hard for an equalizer.<\/p>\n

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Fowler made a number of key saves, but Alexandre Carrier and Phillip Danault also blocked shots by from Fabian Zetterlund and Tim Stutzle to secure the win.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was pretty hectic,\u201d recalled Fowler. \u201cCouple plays there that our guys on the ice were pretty gassed and a lot of huge blocks there down the stretch. You know the last few minutes, there were a lot of guys doing a lot of hard things to get a win, and that\u2019s what it takes this time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n

With 18 games remaining in their regular season, the Canadiens are focused on positioning themselves for a playoff run.<\/p>\n

The win over the Senators ranked the Canadiens third in the Atlantic Division, with a three-point lead on the Detroit Red Wings and four on Boston, who hold the two wild cards.<\/p>\n

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\u2018You can\u2019t buy that experience where we are in the season against that team,\u201d said St. Louis. \u201cPretty good rivalry for us, on the road. You can\u2019t buy that. So, for me, I think high marks the way (Fowler) played.\u201d<\/p>\n

With back-to-back games against San Jose and Anaheim this weekend, the coach\u2019s decisions around his starting goaltender will be interesting.<\/p>\n

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2026<\/p>\n

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