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Dans les coulisses

Jesperi Kotkaniemi has more points than Nick Suzuki in 63 games, but…

As you know, Jesperi Kotkaniemi has had an excellent start to the season. The Carolina Hurricanes’ center has 12 points in 12 games, which is excellent.

He’s on track to almost double his 43 points in 82 games last year. Patience with the youngsters, they say…

He’s doing better than Nick Suzuki, who has nine points in 11 games. I compare him to Suzuki because at some point, those two guys were supposed to be the future of the Habs at center.

Obviously, Suzuki isn’t having a perfect season. He was criticized by his coach earlier this year … and it worked.

But even though he’s redeemed himself recently, there’s still a difference between what KK offers the Hurricanes and what Suzuki is able to offer the Habs this season. We agree.

Still, it’s interesting to note that in 63 regular-season games, KK has more points than Suzuki.

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Of course, this statistic is enough to give Marc Bergevin the heebie-jeebies, who chose to let KK go after the 2021 playoffs. Remember that the European center didn’t play every playoff game that season.

But we still have to do what Jérôme Bérubé didn’t do in his tweet entitled stats inutiles: qualify the statistics a little.

If KK has 12 points in 12 games this season, that means he has 36 points in his last 51 games to finish the 2022-2023 season. But why aren’t the playoffs included?

If we take his 12 points in 12 games this year, his seven points in 15 playoff games and his 27 points in 36 games to finish the 2022-2023 season, we get 46 points. That’s what Suzuki was credited with in the tweet, even though he really only has 45.

Including playoff stats, which is still important, we reduce the gap to just one point.

Suzuki, who has nine points in eleven games this season, had 36 points in his last 52 games last year. That’s pretty close to Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s 36 in 51, isn’t it?

And let’s face it: KK didn’t have to play with Jesse Ylönen and put the CH on his back because of everyone else’s injuries. When he was in a slump, he was the problem, not the solution.

Conclusion? Yes, KK has more points than Suzuki since 63 regular-season games, but…

To be fair, what we can really conclude is that KK is off to a (much) better start than Suzuki in 2023-2024. Let’s wait and see, but Kotkaniemi’s off to a great start, anyway.

Whether KK is better than Suzuki is not important to the Habs’ new administration, which can do nothing about it. That said, it’s important to set the record straight, isn’t it?

In gusto

– Birds of a feather?

– The Lightning are about to get their #1 goalie back.

– Photo day with the Habs.

– As expected.