Dobson will ‘feel even better’ for Canadiens in 2nd round after injury

TAMPA -- Noah Dobson turned to his left in the Montreal Canadiens locker room at Benchmark International Arena on Sunday, trying to figure out what teammates Phillip Danault and Mike Matheson were doing.

Amidst the postgame euphoria following a 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round, Danault offered a slice of pizza to Matheson, a subtle nod to the Canadiens' run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.

Danault had become a viral sensation that postseason by offering teammate Cole Caufield a slice during the postgame press conference following the Canadiens’  3-2 overtime victory against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals.

Dobson did not partake in the postgame pizza party Sunday, but he still wore the smile of a satisfied and happy man.

After being out since April 11 because of an upper-body injury, Dobson made his debut in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs under the bright lights and high pressure of a win-or-go-home situation.

"I liked my game", Dobson said. "I was getting by pretty well. It wasn't easy to get back to playing after a few weeks away. I was fighting out there on the ice, (but) I found ways to come out of it all right.

"I now have a game in the rearview mirror. I'll feel even better in my next game. When you come back, you can never fully predict how you're going to feel. I broke the ice tonight. I also used my past playoff experience with the (New York) Islanders to know what I should expect."

Dobson played 18:37 in Game 7, somewhat modest compared to his usual standards; he averaged 22:29 over 80 regular-season games. On Sunday, he had four hits and two blocked shots.

He’d only played fewer than 19 minutes in a game three times this season, not counting the game when he was injured against the Columbus Blue Jackets blocking a slap shot from Zach Werenski.

Dobson could not hide his excitement being back.

"It was a terrible feeling (being out)," he said. "I watched the first few games a bit like a fan. I had no control over things. I really had a hard time following along to Game 6; it was like torture.

“Both teams had their chances. I was nervous, but really proud of my teammates' effort. Even though we lost that game at home (1-0 in overtime on Friday), we never stopped believing in our chances of winning this series, and we did it by getting another win in Tampa."

Had the Lightning held a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series following Game 5, would Dobson have attempted to make an even earlier comeback in Game 6?

"I don't know … I'm not going to get into hypotheticals,” he said. “It's hard to say. I was really close to coming back for Game 6, but I hadn't had a single full practice with my teammates. I was trying to get back up to speed by practicing with the reserve squad. I didn't think I'd be ready for Friday, but I was for Sunday.

"I would've never put my team in a position where I'd become a hindrance. I wanted to come back and help my team. I felt good and I was confident that I could play a big role."

Like all his teammates, Dobson also took time to compliment the composure of Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes, who made 28 saves in Game 7.

"He's impressive,” Dobson said. “Doby found himself going head-to-head against (Andrei) Vasilevskiy, one of the best goalies in the League over the last few years. For a rookie, that's quite a challenge, but he passed it with style.

“I'm not surprised. He works hard, he's calm and nothing is ever too big for him."

Dobes needed to be big considering the Canadiens finished with nine shots on goal. But they held on to reach the second round, where it will face the Buffalo Sabres.

Game 1 of that series will take place at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC).

"We got a little help from the hockey gods in Game 7, but we didn't steal this series," Dobson said. "We deserved to win against Tampa."