Latest news with #Slafkovský
New York Times
20-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
16 stats: Canadiens' arrival, Elias Pettersson's return and Auston Matthews' standards
The Montreal Canadiens started the season 4-9-2, went on a 20-10-2 run, dropped eight of nine going into the 4 Nations Face-Off break, and are now in the midst of a scintillating 8-1-2 stretch. Talk about a roller-coaster season. Is the final destination a playoff spot? It currently appears that way after a big Tuesday night win that put the Canadiens at the top of the Eastern Conference wild-card race. Their current projection of 88 points gives Montreal a 40 percent of making the playoffs, edging out the Rangers (24 percent), Islanders (21 percent), Blue Jackets (17 percent) and Red Wings (five percent). The Canadiens are in the driver's seat. Advertisement The reason: their growing young core is starting to realize its potential. Montreal's best players have been on fire since the 4 Nations break. The tale of the tape speaks for itself. Nick Suzuki hasn't just been the best player in Montreal, he's arguably been one of the best in the entire league since the break. His average Game Score of 2.03 leads all forwards thanks to a league-leading 18 points in 11 games, along with a 55 percent xG rate and 75 percent of actual goals. He's grown into a no-doubt top-line center (with a fantastic contract as a result of that growth, I should add). Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský have been along for the ride scoring at a point-per-game rate. Caufield's seven goals ranks near the top of the league while Slafkovský looks like he's back on track after a slow start. While Caufield's and Slafkovský's five-on-five numbers are a little muted compared to Suzuki's, the duo has still helped Montreal win tough minutes which is a fantastic sign for the future. The top line has been lights-out. In net, Sam Montembeault is showing exactly why he made Team Canada with a .920 save percentage and a league-leading 12.1 goals saved above expected during this stretch. Good goaltending goes a long way and he's been great. Last, but certainly not least, is the player who's helped unlock everything for the Habs: Lane Hutson. He's turning into an elite defenseman before our very eyes and has been a nightly sensation in Montreal. He has 12 points in 11 games since the break and has earned 63 percent of expected goals and 73 percent of actual goals. That's led to an average Game Score of 1.91 which ranks third among defensemen. For the season, his plus-6.9 Net Rating leads all rookie skaters, up 2.5 goals on Macklin Celebrini. What usually separates the league's contenders from the pretenders is the core. Find a good team and you'll almost always find a good core leading the way. It's how a team's core develops that usually serves as a signal as to where a rebuilding team is heading, and right now there's a strong signal coming from Montreal's top players. Sure, there's a bit of PDO magic happening right now, but even by xG Hutson has been dominant and the top line is winning tough minutes. Advertisement The Canadiens are in the process of arriving. The work to make the playoffs is not finished yet, but even if they ultimately fall short, it's hard not to view this season as anything but a major success. It looks like a stepping stone to a very bright tomorrow, one that could come as early as this April. Either way, the final destination isn't just a playoff spot this year anyway — it's consistent contention. With the way this core has grown this season, and especially over the last month, reaching that destination feels like only a matter of time. 1. Are Montreal's special teams due for regression? One worry that I have with Montreal over the final 15 games is whether its special teams can stay this special. Since the 4 Nations break, the Canadiens have the eighth-best power play (11.3 goals per 60) and sixth-best penalty kill (5.5 goals against per 60), but they're not getting there in a sustainable way. During the same stretch, Montreal has the seventh worst expected goals-for rate on the power play (7.3 per 60), and the eighth worst expected goals-against rate on the penalty kill (10.0 per 60). Good teams learn how to create their own luck and the Canadiens are learning in real time how to be a good team. It helps to have elite finishing talent on the power play and a goalie playing well for the penalty kill. All that matters is what happens on the scoreboard and with 15 games left and a healthy lead on ninth, the Canadiens have a great shot at the postseason. But with how the team has earned their results, there is a chance of that drying up. If it does, it might be what costs them the playoffs. 2. Jones struggling in Florida There's often an acclimation period when it comes to newly acquired players and the Panthers better hope that's all that's going on with Seth Jones. Advertisement The star defender had his share of struggles in Chicago, but the thinking was that he'd put it behind him on a contender and give a jolt to Florida's offense. Through seven games the early returns are not great, with a team-worst 39 percent of expected goals while getting outscored 6-1. Even with Aaron Ekblad out, Jones' minutes in Florida have actually been easier than they were in Chicago. I believe in Jones and think he will turn it around, but it's hard not to be a little concerned with his start here. So far he's been a detriment on a team that made Ben Chiarot look good — and that's saying something. 3. Carlo thriving in Toronto Elsewhere in the Atlantic, Brandon Carlo has a 62 percent xG rate with the Leafs and more importantly, has been on for just 1.51 expected goals against per 60. While the rest of the team has struggled since the deadline, the Carlo-Morgan Rielly pair looks like an immediate revelation. After struggling this year in Boston without Hampus Lindholm, Carlo looks like his vintage self. Though it sure helps that his workload has been lessened. With Toronto, the average Offensive Rating of his opponents has been 1.67, down from 1.95 with Boston. It's a seemingly small drop, but it does make a difference. 4. Matthews' high standards It's no secret that Auston Matthews is not having his best season. What's interesting is how harshly people are judging said season with some exaggerated comparisons to a third-line center. I suppose it's understandable when a player has set the bar as high as Matthews has, but it is funny that under the hood the only number that's really changed is how many pucks he's personally shot into the net. Compared to last season Matthews has a similar 55 percent xG rate, with a similar relative impact of 0.5 per 60. The Leafs have allowed a similar amount of goals against and he's firing the same amount of chances on net (1.77 xG per 60). His goals percentage would be above 60 percent, as usual, if only the pucks he shot at the net went in as often as usual. Over the last three seasons that rate is 2.16 per 60. This year that's dropped to 1.46. There's no question the drop is a big deal (though he has made up for some of it with stronger playmaking), especially for a player who makes his hay being the league's best goal scorer. But if this is Matthews' floor — a 41-goal and 95-point pace with elite five-on-five impacts in some of the league's toughest minutes — it's a damn high floor. For as poor as he's looked relative to his usual standards, his plus-14.1 Net Rating still ranks 17th in the league. Advertisement Matthews' worst is still almost anyone else's best. 5. Taylor Hall, the forgotten piece of the Rantanen saga Something that's been sometimes forgotten with Carolina's Mikko Rantanen saga is that the Hurricanes did get Taylor Hall in the deal. GM Eric Tulsky mentioned that in his interview with Pierre LeBrun and, naturally, the numbers bear it out. With the Hurricanes, Hall has scored a solid 1.88 points-per-60 at five-on-five and has shown a serious resurgence in his play-driving ability. The Hurricanes have earned 59 percent of expected goals and have outscored teams 12-5 in his minutes. His presence has made the second line look a lot more formidable of late with Hall finding some instant chemistry with Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Hall is obviously not the impact player that Rantanen or Necas is, but he's no scrub either. The Hurricanes have looked really good of late and he's been a big reason why. 6. Jankowski and Glass: deadline steals The deals for Mark Jankowski and Cody Glass were deadline day afterthoughts at the time, two depth moves that didn't seem to warrant much second thought. Two weeks later they look like the shrewdest moves of the day. The key to both: buy low on bad PDO. In Nashville, Jankowski was on for 62 percent of expected goals, but just 46 percent of goals. In Pittsburgh, Glass was on for 56 percent of expected goals, but just 41 percent of goals. It's no shock that two savvy organizations trusted the former numbers with the hopes of a turnaround and that's exactly what they've received right out of the gate. Both Jankowski and Glass seem to have been reinvigorated by their new locales and look like quality depth additions for the playoffs, ready to crush sheltered minutes. 7. Is Allen stealing the Devils starting job? The Devils made a big splash last summer by acquiring Jacob Markstrom. Lucky for them, they also acquired an insurance policy at last year's deadline: Jake Allen. Advertisement Since returning from injury Markstrom has really struggled between the pipes, posting an .833 save percentage while allowing 6.5 goals above expected in just five games. That's the third-worst mark in the league. Allen, on the other hand, has a .926 and has saved 5.8 goals above expected in five games since the 4 Nations break. With that in mind, it's no wonder that the two have alternated starts over the last two weeks. With the way both goalies are playing right now, it wouldn't be a shock to see Allen take over for a bit either. For now, he's the better option. 8. Sorry for the jinx, Columbus Last week I wrote some glowing things about the Blue Jackets who, for the first time all season, looked more likely than not to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, that might've been a top signal for a team that's been riding high on percentages for a lot of the year. Since the article, the Blue Jackets have lost three straight and have now lost five of six. Their playoff chances have dropped from a high of 62.5 percent on March 10 to 16.7 percent now. My bad! (And sorry in advance to any Canadiens fans after all the nice stuff I said to start this article). 9. Faber's second-half struggles For the second straight season, Brock Faber has disappeared in the new year. Last season that was due to Faber dealing with injury, though I'm not quite sure what the excuse this year. Either way, the drop in his numbers has been alarming. From the start of the season to Dec. 31, Faber was a rock. He earned 51.5 percent of expected goals and 58 percent of actual goals for the Wild — all while playing the toughest minutes on the team. Since then, in the same minutes, Faber's xG percentage has dropped to 44 percent and his goals percentage has dropped to 35 percent. What's going on here? 10. Ice-cold Bedard If you haven't heard much of the Chicago phenom's name lately (outside of back-to-back game misconducts), it's because Connor Bedard hasn't done much to warrant it. Coming out of the 4 Nations break Bedard has been ice-cold with just two goals and four points in 13 games. Perhaps more troubling is that the same defensive issues that plagued him in his rookie season continue to be a problem. It's obvious that Bedard needs help, but there are other forwards on the team — Teuvo Teräväinen and Ryan Donato — who aren't struggling to the same degree. Why can't Bedard do the same? Unless he takes a big jump next season, it's starting to look like the massive pre-draft hype surrounding Bedard will be very difficult to live up to. His current projected Net Rating peak sits around plus-12 which is right in line with other top-30 forwards. In order to get to franchise-player range, he needs to start showing a lot more — even on a bad team. Advertisement 11. Dallas without Heiskanen against Colorado Earlier this week, Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said there's a very real chance the Stars may be without Miro Heiskanen for the first round. That's really bad news considering the team is on a collision course to play the Avalanche in the first round. With Heiskanen, the Stars would be 60 percent favorites over the Avalanche (and that's with Tyler Seguin back, which also looks dicey). Without Heiskanen, they'd still be favorites at 53 percent, but the margin for error shrinks significantly. Dallas can still beat Colorado without Heiskanen, but his absence is a big deal. 12. Necas' fit with Colorado We mentioned Hall fitting well with Carolina earlier and it's important to mention the same for Martin Necas. I've never been a big Necas believer, but it's clear his speed and style are perfect for Colorado in ways that simply weren't possible in Carolina. Necas is actually scoring less efficiently in Colorado at five-on-five (1.72 points per 60 compared to 2.44 with Carolina), but he's doing a lot more outside of his production. It helps to be on the ice with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar so often, but it's still noteworthy that Necas was a 48 percent xG player on Carolina (!) but has jumped to 66 percent with the Avalanche. Also of note are the chances he himself is creating. According to data tracked by Corey Sznajder, Necas has contributed to 15.6 scoring chances per 60 — on par with Jack Hughes as one of the best marks in the league. It's also way up from his 10.2 in Carolina this year and 10.0 last year. He's a perfect complement next to MacKinnon. 13. The end of the electric Walman — Bouchard pair Mattias Ekholm made his return to the lineup on Tuesday night and excelled with a Game Score of 5.62, showing why he and Evan Bouchard are one of the league's best pairs. But his return marked the end of a fascinating duo: Bouchard and newcomer Jake Walman. In theory, that pair sounds like a coach's nightmare: two pure puck-movers with a flair for some real bonehead moments. In practice, however, they were rocket fuel igniting Edmonton's attack at the top of the lineup. Advertisement Walman and Bouchard only played 52 minutes together over Walman's first five games with the team, but in that time the Oilers earned 61 percent of expected goals while outscoring opponents 3-1. And yes, they did that playing the team's tougher minutes too. The pair may have been short-lived, but it's nice to know the Oilers have that in their back pocket when they need offense. Walman looks like a quality pick-up. 14. Is Elias Pettersson back? Over the last five games, Elias Pettersson has had three goals and seven points and 63 percent of expected goals, good for an average Game Score of 1.92. Yeah, he looks like he's back. 15. Big game in St. Louis Thursday night's game between the Blues and Canucks is huge. The game carries massive playoff implications with those two teams being the most likely candidates for the final playoff spot in the West. Going into the game, my model gives the edge to Vancouver thanks to the team's previous track record and current edge in points percentage (.551 to St. Louis' .543). Given how the team has looked most of the season, it's perhaps too bullish on the Canucks, but a healthy Quinn Hughes and resurgent Elias Pettersson help. In the same vein, it's perhaps too bearish on the Blues, who have been a juggernaut of late leading all teams in goals percentage (63.9 percent) and expected goals percentage (59.5 percent) since the 4 Nations break. They've been really good under new coach Jim Montgomery and that's probably not taken into account enough. Seeing the Blues take the Canucks over would not be a shock in the slightest, and that all starts with a win on home ice. The Blues enter the game with a 24 percent chance of making the playoffs to Vancouver's 55 percent. Here's what those odds become depending on what happens in the matchup. Blues regulation win Blues' odds: 36 percent Canucks' odds: 40 percent Advertisement Blues overtime win Blues' odds: 31 percent Canucks' odds: 50 percent Canucks overtime win Blues' odds: 19 percent Canucks' odds: 64 percent Canucks regulation win Blues' odds: 13 percent Canucks' odds: 69 percent That's 29 percentage points of leverage on the line for the Canucks and 23 for the Blues. Buckle up. 16. Make a call! Earlier this week, Jason Gregor noted that the league has seen a massive drop in power-play opportunities this year, something I wanted to echo here. I've long been an advocate of just calling the damn rulebook and it feels like this year we've reached a new low. Literally, with just 2.72 power play opportunities per game. That's a 10 percent drop from last year's 3.02 — an average that had been steady since 2014-15. While a league-wide jump in efficiency has lessened the impact on lost goals, I do worry about the effect a looser whistle might have on the game at five-on-five. On a per-60 basis, shots are down from 29.0 last year to 27.2 this year at five-on-five while goals are down from 2.52 last year to 2.40 this season. Not ideal. — Data via Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Stat Cards, All Three Zones and Hockey-Reference
New York Times
12-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Canadiens' attempt to develop and win exemplified in victory over Canucks
VANCOUVER — Juraj Slafkovský is three years younger than Jayden Struble, but how they are at different stages of their respective development is indicative of a line the Montreal Canadiens are trying to straddle right now. Because Slafkovský has far more NHL experience than Struble despite their age gap. Struble was drafted in this city one round after the Canadiens made Cole Caufield their first-round pick at the 2019 draft, and the difference between their two stages of development is just as stark. Advertisement Slafkovský, Caufield and their captain and linemate Nick Suzuki are driving the Canadiens' bus right now while Struble is simply attempting to secure a seat, but that has importance for the present and future. And all four of those players combining to score an important goal for the Canadiens in a 3-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday demonstrated to some extent how they are straddling that line and developing players at different stages all at once. Let's start with Struble, who was at Justin Barron's last supper with the team and whose spot in the lineup was effectively blocked by the arrival of Alexandre Carrier via trade. He was puzzled at the time as to what he did wrong, but realized over the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off that he needed more urgency in his game, to treat every shift like it might be his last. But that can have a countereffect as well, because if you are paralyzed with fear that every shift might be your last if you make a mistake that costs the team, that doesn't allow you to make a play like the one Struble made on that goal scored by Caufield. It takes freedom to make a play like that, one where Struble collected a puck deep in his own zone and fired a cross-ice pass to the opposite blue line to Slafkovský. Le 1er trio des Canadiens! 🔥🔥🔥 Le 32e but de la saison de Cole Caufield! 🚨 — RDS (@RDSca) March 12, 2025 'There was just no thought,' Struble said. 'Just go to him.' Struble's playing some good hockey on a pair with Lane Hutson, taking full advantage of not only the opening Kaiden Guhle's injury provided him but the decision by Canadiens management to carry the minimum six defencemen on the roster right now. Coach Martin St. Louis — who expressed rather severe disappointment in Struble earlier this season — has no choice but to play him right now, and he's liked what he's seen. Advertisement 'He's played very well,' St. Louis said. 'I think he's giving us a bit of everything. I think he's defending pretty good and he's starting the offence with a good breakout pass. He's keeping things simple, but I think he's been very efficient with his decision-making.' But that decision to throw that long cross-ice pass to Slafkovský doesn't just happen organically. It takes a body of work that allows you to permit yourself the freedom to take that decision, which was the right decision but involved a quick risk assessment that a player paralyzed by fear would be unable to make. 'I think I just felt good today, the passes were just kind of connecting,' Struble said. 'When you're like that, it's easy to just play free and do what your first instinct is. That was just it.' So now, to the recipient of that pass. Slafkovský fully expected Struble to make that pass, which speaks to a confidence in your teammates that is vital to any team's success. 'Because that's how we play, that's how we groove,' Slafkovský said when asked why he expected that pass. 'That's how we want to play, quick to the other side. If the puck comes to one side, usually on the other side there's less players. I was going there already hoping that if he sees me, he's going to put it there. He made a great play, and then Suzy made an unbelievable pick up because it wasn't a great puck.' Speaking of confidence, why was that not a great puck? 'He had to take it with the backhand,' Slafkovský said. 'I don't think I would have picked it up.' This play was part of Slafkovský's first three-point night of the season. He is someone who defines himself by points. It did him some good. But Slafkovský's development in the NHL has been happening for longer than Struble's, and his effectiveness right now is largely based on something he rejected as a rookie. It took him a while, but Slafkovský has come to accept that his big body means he will best facilitate his line and his team by being a consistent presence at the net front. Advertisement It is something he has been doing since the return from the 4 Nations break, and it was not something he was doing consistently before. 'I'm a big guy, I screen the goalie, maybe sometimes two guys get on top of me, they try to box me out and then it opens up someone else,' he said. 'Then Cole or Suzy skate around, create some confusion for them, and then I can pop out or something. Because I feel like I'm maybe not the fastest guy out of the corner, but if I'm net front and then I jump to the side of the net or stuff like that, and playing with two skilled guys they can make those little plays. 'If I'm net front and he beats his guy, it can create a little two-on-one or a little three-on-two because of just the presence, just being there.' Back when he was a rookie, Slafkovský refused to be defined by his size. He had hands, he knew how to use them. But he has come to understand that this is the best league in the world, every little advantage you have needs to be optimized, and his biggest advantage is his size. That doesn't mean he can't use his hands, but he needs to optimize his biggest advantage by going to the front of that net and allowing his line to benefit from it because it's necessary. 'Well,' he said, 'we're not going to put Cole there.' This has been a key element to the line's success. Slafkovský's presence at the net front, just being there, has created tons of room for Suzuki and Caufield to operate. 'You need that on a line, you can't have three perimeter guys,' St. Louis said. 'I'm not saying Suzy and Cole are perimeter guys, but they're going to control the puck a little more than Slaf, and they should. And Slaf should be around the net. And when they get stuck and they throw the puck around the net or below the goal line, Slaf gets involved again, wins pucks for us and extends O-zone.' Advertisement This, too, is development, but Slafkovský's had more time to figure that out than Struble, because they are at different stages of their development but are doing it simultaneously within the context of a Canadiens playoff chase, a context in which St. Louis readily admits there is less rope given for development when results are so important, because results can lead to a playoff berth where this development can continue. 'When we started this, we had a lot of young players and we wanted to teach them how to play together, and I think the development part that we're doing right now is learning how to win and play close, tight games,' St. Louis said before the game. 'That's part of development. It's more like decision-making development, the risk management, versus development where, hey, this is how we play with five guys on the ice, this is how we support each other.' This is what has made it more difficult for guys like Struble or rookies Lane Hutson and Emil Heineman because it's like they need to jump on a moving train. 'Those guys, unfortunately for them, are jumping in at a different stage than our team, so the rope is probably not as long,' St. Louis said. 'Especially with where we are.' The Canadiens' win in Vancouver, coupled with losses in regulation time by the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers, left them two points out of a playoff spot with 18 games to play. The games remain meaningful for the second-youngest team in the league. And they are demonstrating you can develop and prioritize results all at once. They have guys riding that moving train and guys jumping on when it matters most.
New York Times
23-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Did Juraj Slafkovský find his NHL identity? The Canadiens can only hope so
OTTAWA — Juraj Slafkovský has always been big, and he has always resisted being defined by that trait because that is not all he is. He has hockey sense, he has hands and he can make plays. All of those traits are more important to him than his size. But it is his size combined with all those other traits that make Slafkovský special. It is what got him drafted No. 1 overall, and it has been a long-standing discussion — between player and management, player and coach, player and teammates — that the size element of what he brings to the table needs to be there. Advertisement Not that the other traits can't be there as well, but the size, and using that size, must be a constant. Slafkovský admitted back in early December that general manager Kent Hughes pulled him aside to tell him to 'wake up.' The crux of that message was that he needed to use his size. Coach Martin St. Louis has often mentioned the conversations he has had with Slafkovský about the need to play with pace, and how that pace will naturally lead to physicality. He refers to it often as basic physics and did that again after practice this week. But perhaps the most important part of this desire from the entire Montreal Canadiens organization to pull this out of Slafkovský and convince him that this is the player he needs to be is his interaction with his teammates. What they need from him. After Slafkovský set a new career high for hits with eight, a new season high for shots on goal with five, had his second career regular-season fight and scored a goal in a 5-2 win against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, his teammates' reaction to all of it might have been the most telling part of the evening. They, too, have wanted to see this version of Slafkovský, because they also know this is how he will be successful in the NHL. Slaf était PARTOUT Slaf came to PLAY#GoHabsGo — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 23, 2025 When Slafkovský fought Ridley Greig in the third period with the Canadiens already up 5-2 there was a lineup outside the penalty box as his teammates came to give him a fist bump. hahahaha #GoHabsGo — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 23, 2025 'I want this to be my standard every night,' Slafkovský said. 'I've just got to do it again.' And there's the rub. We have frequently referenced a conversation with Slafkovský early in his rookie season, one where he spoke of how he was used on the power play for TPS Turku during his draft year. The coaches in Turku saw his size and put him at the net front, but Slafkovský has always preferred playing at the right flank so he could uncork one-timers. Advertisement He raised his hands as he told the story, looked at them and said, 'I think I can use these as well.' This has always been the battle for Slafkovský, a skilled player in a big man's body. But his skill has always been so much higher than the norm in every league he's ever played in. It's not anymore. To use that skill in the NHL he needs to use his physical gifts to unlock the opportunities to use that skill because that's what sets him apart. It has been hammered home to Slafkovský by management, his coach and his teammates. But it took this break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, his unsatisfactory results this season, for Slafkovský to see that he needs to lean in on what makes him special. He doesn't need to be defined by his size, but he needs to use it because it is a significant part of what will make him successful in the NHL. As he sat on a beach over the 4 Nations break, Slafkovský thought about this. A lot. From the sounds of it, it's all he thought about. 'I feel like this season is an embarrassment from my side,' Slafkovský said. 'After the ending of last year, 30 games, 30 points, and then I come out here and playing like junior hockey and not doing anything. 'I've been thinking about it for two weeks that I've got to change something.' And there, again, is the rub. Slafkovský has spoken often this season about the things he needs to do to be successful. How he needs to be physical. How he needs to shoot more. He has often spoken about these things after games where he has done these things, only to play another game where he did not do those things. The game he had Saturday night needs to be his identity. He doesn't have to lose the ability to use his hands, to make plays, to do all the things he feels define him. But he needs to do those things within the framework of the player he was Saturday night — the player he thought about sitting on the beach, the player whose differentiating factor is that 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame. Advertisement Slafkovský has had games like this before this season. He has said things like this before this season. But he hasn't backed them up this season with more games like this. They have been one-offs and not trends. And he is well aware this needs to be a trend. 'Maybe I would get so satisfied sometimes with a game like this that I would get home and think that was a nice game, and then I wouldn't come out as strong,' Slafkovský said. 'Got to be angry all the time. I can't let this slip. My teammates expect me to do this again on Tuesday, so I want to make sure I'll be there for the rest of the year.' One teammate who can probably best understand what Slafkovský is going through might be Cole Caufield. He, too, had an identity entering the league. He, too, was told that identity is not good enough, that you need to be more than a goal scorer and that you need to be a complete player to remain relevant. Caufield has done that, and he sacrificed some of his goal scoring last season to get there. But he has come out the other side, and if Slafkovský needs inspiration to see how a similar adjustment to his identity can benefit him, he doesn't need to look much further than his linemate who is now thriving because of the changes he made to his game and his mindset. 'At the end of the day it comes down to him, his decision, him wanting to do that day in and day out,' Caufield said. 'It's part of growing his game, part of him being the player he wants to be. For sure it helps out a lot, it creates a lot more space. I thought that was his best game of the year so far, regardless of fighting, regardless of doing whatever, he was physical all night and gets rewarded there with a goal.' The lineup outside the penalty box after his fight and his teammates' reaction to how Slafkovský played this game shows the extent to which he has more reasons to play this way than just being goaded by his coach or management. The most intense pressure point is always pressure from your peers, and the validation of Slafkovský from his teammates during and after the game should only help him reproduce this from now until the end of the season. Advertisement 'That's the key, to reproduce it,' Nick Suzuki said. 'It's not an easy style. I think he's kind of been put into a mold that maybe he's not used to. When he plays like that, though, I mean, he's so effective. It's so easy for me and Cole to play with him. I think, probably for him, seeing how he played tonight will really help him.' Confirmed. 'You see that it's working and you just want to keep that,' Slafkovský said. 'Just have to translate it to next game, because that's been an issue this year.' The Canadiens' win against the Senators is far less important than this revelation for Slafkovský. If he realizes that this is how he will be a successful NHL player and can replicate it night after night from now until the end of the season, missing the playoffs will be an afterthought. The Canadiens need stories like Slafkovský's from now until the end of the season far worse than they need an undeserved playoff berth. (Photo of Juraj Slafkovský fighting Ridley Greig: Chris Tanouye / Freestyle Photography / Getty Images)
