I attended my first live NHL game in over 4 years yesterday. The Habs held the line and defeated the playoffs-seeking Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 4-1. Beyond the win and the scoreline, I have to talk about 2 players - Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky.
Nick Suzuki, only aged 24 and already the captain of this team, reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career and is the first Habs player to score 30+ in a season since Brendan Gallagher 5 years ago. He's not only elite in point production as he will easily reach and exceed the 70-point mark before season's end. He is also playing big minutes against the other team's top line night after night. People compare Suzuki to a young Patrice Bergeron. If it is for me, he's the kind of player Team Canada would want to have on the 3rd/4th line come the 2026 Winter Olympics or the 4 Nations Face-Off before that (February 2025). Tampa Bay's Jon Cooper said after the final from 3 years ago that Suzuki would have a great future.
Ever since Juraj Slafkosvky was put on the top line, he really became a force of his own. He currently has a 9-game streak with at least a point per game. Back on last Tuesday though, he beat the record for most points scored in a season by a Habs player aged 19 or younger with 40 points (now 41 after the game against Philly and before his 20th birthday on Saturday). The previous record of 39 points originally belonged to Mario Tremblay (1974-75).Slafkovsky's transformation has been nothing short of spectacular, even though we weren't sure if the better option was to either stay with the team or go to the AHL in earlier stages of the season.
With a few more additions and one experienced teacher in the coaching staff, I think this team can start looking higher.
Nick Suzuki, only aged 24 and already the captain of this team, reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career and is the first Habs player to score 30+ in a season since Brendan Gallagher 5 years ago. He's not only elite in point production as he will easily reach and exceed the 70-point mark before season's end. He is also playing big minutes against the other team's top line night after night. People compare Suzuki to a young Patrice Bergeron. If it is for me, he's the kind of player Team Canada would want to have on the 3rd/4th line come the 2026 Winter Olympics or the 4 Nations Face-Off before that (February 2025). Tampa Bay's Jon Cooper said after the final from 3 years ago that Suzuki would have a great future.
Ever since Juraj Slafkosvky was put on the top line, he really became a force of his own. He currently has a 9-game streak with at least a point per game. Back on last Tuesday though, he beat the record for most points scored in a season by a Habs player aged 19 or younger with 40 points (now 41 after the game against Philly and before his 20th birthday on Saturday). The previous record of 39 points originally belonged to Mario Tremblay (1974-75).Slafkovsky's transformation has been nothing short of spectacular, even though we weren't sure if the better option was to either stay with the team or go to the AHL in earlier stages of the season.
With a few more additions and one experienced teacher in the coaching staff, I think this team can start looking higher.
