The Hockey News Morning Skate: Dobes Stumbles For Canadiens, DeSmith Stands Tall For Stars

David Kirouac-Imagn ImagesDavid Kirouac-Imagn ImagesOct 15, 2026 1:06 PMPublished Oct 15, 2026 1:06 PMIn this edition of The Hockey News Morning Skate, Eric Cruikshank and Michael Traikos break down Jakub Dobes' struggles for the Montreal Canadiens, the Dallas Stars' standout tandem after a huge outing for Casey DeSmith, and more.Welcome to The Hockey News Morning Skate, where we give a quick recap of all the action from the NHL every weekday morning so you stay up to date.After all 32 teams were in action as part of the league's Frozen Frenzy on Tuesday, only four hit the ice on Wednesday for a small, but exciting, slate of games.Let's run through the biggest storylines that emerged from last night, and make sure to check out the video version of this story above.Dobes' Struggles Continue For CanadiensMontreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes allowed five goals on just 23 shots in a 5-4 loss to the Washington Capitals and now has an .841 SV% through the first four games of the season. With rookie netminder Jacob Fowler stringing together some solid performances in relief of Sam Montembeault, there could be a changing of the guard coming between the pipes in Montreal.Related storiesOn the winning side of this matchup, both of the Capitals' big off-season additions on the wing had huge impacts in this game. Alex Tuch led the way with two goals and an assist and now leads the Capitals with five goals in seven games. Jordan Kyrou potted a goal and an assist of his own and now has four points in seven games.DeSmith Stands Tall In Shootout Win For Stars On the second half of a back-to-back, home-and-home set against the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith made 25 saves and held on all the way through the shootout to help secure a 3-2 win. He and starter Jake Oettinger have been hot out of the gate, posting a combined .934 SV% and 1.97 GAA through 7 games. The award is given annually to the goalie(s) who play a minimum of 25 games for their team with the fewest goals allowed during the regular season. Last season, Avalanche goaltenders MacKenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood took home the hardware as a tandem.For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.