Noah Dobson has been the Montreal Canadiens’ most important defensive player this season. Unfortunately, Dobson sustained an upper-body injury during the April 11 game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. After blocking a shot with his left hand, he walked off the ice.
The Canadiens later stated that Noah Dobson could miss up to two weeks, which at that time meant the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs. Dobson has yet to make a comeback, but he was recently spotted skating again. Interesting, a new update on his recovery has emerged, revealing that he is anticipated to be in Montreal’s lineup for their upcoming game.
Hockey analyst Mathieu Chouinard reported on Dobson’s condition on X with a post that read,
“Received info: Unless there’s a major turnaround, Dobson is IN tomorrow.”
The Canadiens are currently on the verge of elimination in the Eastern Conference’s Round 1. They are 3-3 against the Lightning in this series, which has been close throughout. Walking into Game 6, Montreal had a 3-2 lead, but Tampa managed to win a critical game in overtime following a close game. This forces a tiebreaker Game 7, puck for which is scheduled to drop at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3.
With Noah Dobson available for the game, the Canadiens’ defense will be significantly improved. Dobson’s absence has created a significant gap for Montreal, but his return will put the Lightning’s attack to the test. Martin St. Louis, the head coach, also recently talked about the defenseman’s availability hope.
HC Martin St. Louis claims that Noah Dobson will be a game-time decision
Before the Game 7 press conference, Canadiens Head Coach Martin St. Louis discussed Noah Dobson’s likely comeback to the game. According to sources, Louis claims that Dobson will be present throughout the match’s warm-up. He said that the defenseman will be skating during that period, but his participation will be determined by the game itself.
The Athletic reporter Pierre LeBrun talked about this on X with a post that read,
“Martin St. Louis says Noah Dobson will take pre-game warmup tonight and will be a game-time decision.”
Martin St. Louis also stated that Dobson is a crucial part of the team’s game and that if he plays, it will be a huge thing for them. He said,
“He’s been a big player for us this year. I’m confident that if he plays, he’s going to bring something.”
The Canadiens have been quite impressive this season, making their way into the playoffs as one of the top three teams in the Atlantic Division. They finished with a relatively good record of 48-24-10, 106 points from 82 games. Interestingly, they finished deadlocked with the Lightning for second position in terms of points.
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