Juraj Slafkovsky produced twice as much in February, March and April

Dose
Crédit:

The first trio of the Canadiens is on fire since the 4 Nations tournament (in which none of the three attackers participated).

Nick Suzuki (two more points last night in Seattle) is the top scorer in the entire NHL since the return to competition: 17 points in nine games.

No NHL player has scored as many points as the Canadiens’ captain since February 21. #Vrai1erCentreDeQualité

Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky have each collected 10 points in nine games, the same number as Lane Hutson, by the way…

Caufield and Slafkovsky also rank fifth among the top scorers since the 4 Nations tournament.

In short, the Canadiens’ first trio is on fire and it’s this trio that allows the Canadiens to be just one small point away from a playoff spot this morning. Because no, the second trio is not of the same caliber: Roy, Newhook, and Gallagher.

Will the Canadiens end up burning out Nick « Ironman » Suzuki by using him more than 20 minutes per game? We’ll see.

Nick Suzuki has taken matters into his own hands.
(Credit: Getty Images)

Let’s talk about Juraj Slafkovsky
We constantly praise Cole Caufield’s shot and Nick Suzuki’s all-around game, but we don’t talk as much about Juraj Slafkovsky’s game.

Slafkovsky has been excellent for almost a month… except that it seems like he always has to play poorly, realize he’s playing poorly, work hard, and get involved to start playing well.

In October, November, and December, Slaf collected 21 points in 34 games.

From January 1 to the 4 Nations Tournament: 9 points in 19 games.

Why did Slafkovsky have to watch intense international games – and compare his start to the season to that of Brady Tkachuk – to start playing like a first overall pick?

Remember his comments when he returned from the tournament…

By analyzing Slafkovsky’s statistics since his arrival in the NHL, we notice that the more the season advances, the more he produces. Look at his production per month, over the last three seasons (combined):

(Credit: X)

The most optimistic people will say that Slaf is better in the months when it matters most and that this is encouraging for the future of the organization. Because spring hockey is always harder than fall hockey…

The most pessimistic people will say that Slaf should produce more at the start of the season, that he may not arrive in shape at training camp and/or that he is better when it doesn’t matter.

But the Canadiens are currently in the midst of a playoff run and Slaf is producing…

Slafkovsky has had three relatively modest starts to the season since his arrival in the league… and two very good ends to the season. In his first year, he was injured in the second half of the season.

Next year – at $10 million USD – Slafkovsky will have to make sure he can produce more than 0.43 points per game before Christmas. It’s his role, his job… and he’s very well paid to do it.

in a nutshell

– For those who like to see a stick get hit.

– Will Lane Hutson win the Calder?

– Tough blow to New Jersey.