Former Ohio State Stars Dobeš and Lohrei Set for NHL Playoff Action

The NHL regular season came to a close on Wednesday night, and while hockey fans in central Ohio are left disappointed as the Columbus Blue Jackets fell short of the postseason for the second consecutive year, there is still reason to cheer. Two former Ohio State Buckeyes, goaltender Jakub Dobeš of the Montreal Canadiens and defenseman Mason Lohrei of the Boston Bruins, are set to compete in this year’s NHL playoffs, which kick off on Saturday and will run through June.

Jakub Dobeš has made a remarkable transition this season, evolving from the second-string goaltender to the starter for the Canadiens. As the regular season concluded, Dobeš had started 42 games, boasting a record of 29-10-4 and a 2.78 goals against average. His impressive performance included a save percentage of 90.1, making him a pivotal player in Montreal’s quest for success, helping the team accumulate 106 points.

Down the stretch, Dobeš was formidable, notching seven consecutive wins before his final two games where the Canadiens had already secured their playoff position. In the last match against Columbus, he struggled, allowing five goals, and the following game ended in a 4-2 loss to Philadelphia, who clinched the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference the night before.

As Dobeš prepares for the playoffs, he faces the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team he has encountered three times during the regular season. His first meeting was challenging, allowing three goals in less than 20 minutes in a 6-1 defeat. However, he rebounded in the next two games, achieving a 4-1 victory with 36 saves and a 2-1 win at home, where he made 17 saves. The Canadiens finished the season with a 2-2 record against the Lightning.

Dobeš also carries some playoff experience into this year. Last season, he stepped in during the series against Washington, playing three games with a 1-2 record and saving 52 of 59 shots before the Capitals ended Montreal’s playoff run.

On the other side of the ice, Mason Lohrei will suit up for the Boston Bruins. The defenseman had a solid regular season, participating in 73 games and recording 26 points, including a career-high seven goals. Notably, Lohrei’s plus/minus rating saw a dramatic improvement from a -43 last year to a +17 this season.

The Bruins enter the playoffs as the first wild card team in the Eastern Conference, set to face off against the Buffalo Sabres, who clinched their first playoff berth in 13 years by winning the Atlantic Division. Despite the Sabres’ momentum as one of the league’s hottest teams, Boston can draw confidence from their 3-1 record against Buffalo this season, including a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory on March 25.

Lohrei played in three of the four matchups against the Sabres this year without recording points, but in their latest encounter, he registered two shots and finished the game with a +1 rating. With 11 games of playoff experience from last year’s run, where he contributed a goal and three assists, Lohrei is prepared to make an impact as the Bruins aim for playoff success.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.