Red Wings Can't Solve Dobes, Drop 1-0 Heartbreaker in Montreal Despite Goalie Edge

Well, that's hockey for you. We backed Detroit at +165 banking on a massive goaltending mismatch—Tarasov's .889 versus Dobes' catastrophic .856—and the hockey gods laughed in our faces. The Red Wings fell 1-0 to Montreal in a game that had no business being this tight, and our pick goes down in flames.

Jakub Dobes, the same netminder who'd been leaking goals like a rusty bucket through three starts, suddenly morphed into prime Dominik Hasek and stonewalled Detroit all night. The kid stopped everything—every odd-man rush, every power-play chance, every desperate third-period scramble. Meanwhile, Tarasov held up his end of the bargain, keeping it scoreless deep, but one breakdown was all it took. Montreal's lone goal stood up, and that was ballgame.

The back-to-back factor? Probably mattered more than we wanted to admit. Detroit looked gassed down the stretch, couldn't generate quality chances when it counted, and paid the price. Sometimes the "freefall" team finds religion at home, and tonight the Canadiens found it between the pipes.

Dobes' .856 SV% is officially irrelevant—kid stood on his head when it mattered. Tough beat, but that's why they play the games. On to the next card.