The Boston Bruins, one of the better clubs, came to the Bell Centre on Thursday night, and the Montreal Canadiens put on another strong showing, forcing the Bruins into overtime before losing 2-1. The Canadiens have the most challenging “strength of schedule” down the home stretch in the entire NHL.
For a teenager, the 19-year-old is definitely displaying a lot of game. A head coach will typically start a 19-year-old on the first line, which may indicate desperation. On a terrible hockey team, it’s a decision taken because nobody else is available.
This isn’t the case with the Canadiens, though, as Juraj Slafkovsky keeps improving at a rate that few could have predicted just five months ago. Slafkovsky struggled to see the ice, make passes, win puck fights, keep his head up to avoid being knocked down, and shoot as the season started.
In competition with Zach Benson, Adam Fantilli, and Logan Cooley, he is currently perhaps the second-best teenager in the league, behind only Connor Bedard in Chicago. He ranks second among teenagers with points. As he keeps producing amazing plays, the growth is astounding. Slafkovsky’s ceiling is far from being attained, judging by his ability to study at this rate.
Cole Caufield forced a turnover in the opening period by winning a puck battle against a much larger player. Slafkovsky received it in front of the net, and he skillfully passed it to Nick Suzuki, who scored his 26th goal of the year. It was a career high for Suzuki, set the previous season.
It was Slafkovsky’s 35th point of the year. That sum is exceptional. Since joining the first line, he has been playing at a pace that is just shy of a point per game. Out of his last 24 games, Slafkovsky has 19 points.
Even if his own general manager, Kent Hughes, stated that he considered Slafkovsky to be a five-year project, the enormous Slovak is now prepared for all of this. Would a year-long project work?
A poll conducted on X the afternoon of the draft revealed that 85% of Canadiens supporters preferred a pick that is still in the minors. As Shane Wright refines his skills in Coachella Valley, Slafkovsky is rising to prominence as a teenager. It was a risk. It caught me off guard. It required bravery.
