While Montreal Canadiens’ fans have long identified Jacob Fowler as the goaltender of the future, most didn’t expect him to get a chance to show what he could do in the NHL this season. The Habs’ woes in net have forced the organization to do something to right the ship, and calling up Fowler from the Laval Rocket before sending Samuel Montembeault down for a conditioning stint was the chosen course of action.
The Habs played the move down, saying it was always the plan to see what Fowler could do this season, but given his performance in net, he has yet to be sent down to the AHL, despite Montembeault being back with the team.
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While there’s enough pressure on a young goaltender in the Montreal market as it is, it’s hard not to draw a comparison between the Boston College alums and the winningest goaltender in Canadiens’ history, Carey Price. The way he handles himself on the ice, always calm and collected, in a perfect position to be square to the shot, and making saves look effortless, is very Price-like, but the comparison doesn’t stop there.
Before Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, RDS showed a comparison between the two masked men’s stats in the first five games of their careers, and the numbers are eerily similar. In five games, both had a 3-1-1 record and faced the same number of shots (146) while surrendering the same number of goals (12). Their goals-against average was different because Price spent 308:57 in the net while Fowler spent 300:33, meaning the former had a 2,33 GAA while the latter had a 2.40 GAA, but both had a .918 save percentage.
The most significant difference between their records is that Fowler had a shutout in his fourth game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, while Price notched his first in his 23rd game on February 16, 2007, against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Before graduating to the NHL, Price had only played 12 regular-season games with the Hamilton Bulldogs (the Canadiens’ farm team at the time) and 22 playoff games, leading his team to the Calder Cup. As things stand, Fowler has played eight playoff games with the Rocket and 18 regular-season tilts, for a total of 26 games, while Price has played 34 games in the lower league.
Could the Canadiens decide that Fowler has spent enough time in the AHL? I honestly didn’t think so, but the numbers RDS put forward really make you think. I still believe he could benefit from more seasoning in the AHL, but if Montembeault plays and fails to show he has his game back, the Habs should keep the youngster in the NHL. They want to win and make the playoffs this season, and that won’t happen with shaky goaltending.
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