Martin St-Louis makes a surprise goalie call as Canadiens face McDavid and the Oilers

Context matters as well, because the Canadiens are playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

In a market like Montreal, a game like this can quickly reshape the narrative-especially with the goaltending situation already under scrutiny. That scrutiny only intensifies with the remainder of the road trip looming after the loss in New York.

Martin St-Louis has repeated it: he does not want to put excessive pressure on Fowler's shoulders. He is not presenting the young goaltender as a messiah, and the message is crystal clear.

But in the end, the numbers often have the final say!

Here is Martin St-Louis' decision ahead of tonight's game against the Edmonton Oilers:

It is a surprising decision for Samuel Montembeault. One can wonder whether his coach still has confidence in him.

The Quebec-born goaltender is 29 years old, and his current contract carries a $3.15M cap hit. He holds a 5-6-1 record this season, posting a 3.65 goals-against average and an .857 save percentage.

Jacob Fowler, 21, is 1-0-1 on the year with a 3.42 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage.

When St-Louis sends Dobes between the pipes against a team led by Connor McDavid, the message is clear: he is the one he trusts more.