Montreal Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky is learning to trust his shot early in his NHL career National sports

WASHINGTON (AP) – After scoring the first two goals of his young career, Juraj Slafkovski smiled and posed for pictures with the crowd from home, who are also big fans, after meeting the Slovak ambassador to the U.S. and his staff, signing shirts.

“They just love the game,” Slafkowski said. “It's great to see that people care and they come to see these games.”

They came to see Slafkovski, who became the first Slovakian player to receive the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and is currently in the middle of his second professional season with the Montreal Canadiens. He was a mid-draft pick because he's shown over the past few months that he can score with impeccable production – and the 19-year-old is now learning to trust his shot.

“Everyone,” he said, told him to shoot more… Maybe not Ambassador Radovan Jaworczyk, but certainly his teammates and coaches see what Slafkowski can do in practices and games.

“I try, but sometimes I see someone else and try to pass, and then find out that it's not the best option,” Slafkowski said. “I'll keep shooting, I guess.”

That's easier said than done for the 6-foot-3, 230-pound freshman playmaker, who is just two years removed from the 2022 Beijing Olympics. He helped Slovakia win its first Olympic medal of any kind in hockey, was named the tournament's MVP, and then earned a point at the world championships that spring.

Slafkowski had four goals and six assists in 39 games in an injury-plagued rookie year for Montreal. He scored 22 points, 9 goals and 13 assists in 50 games this season.

Its shooting is still going on.

“It's progress,” said coach Martin Saint, who was a Hall of Famer as a player. “He will continue to develop in this department. You always find a way to reinvent yourself. With such a young player, he works on his shot every day.”

Slafkowski scored three goals in the last two games around the All-Star break, and St. Louis was happy to see that work rewarded with the puck in the back of the net. Slafkowski is slowly building the confidence his teammates hope will allow him to take flight.

“You can see the confidence in his hitting now,” forward Jake Evans said. “Both of them were complete pilots. It's very important for him because when you have a guy who has his own shot, who is confident like that, it's very lethal and it helps our team a lot.”

Is Evans telling Slafkowski to shoot more? At first he said, “Shoot!” he shouts. but he won't be the guy to deliver the message.

He leaves it to team-mates Cole Caufield and captain Nick Suzuki, who sympathize with the young player who wants to hang on.

“I remember always wanting to give it to the other guys, but when you have a shot, you have to take it,” Suzuki said. “We're trying to set him up to shoot, so he's got to have that mindset, and he's doing a good job right now.”

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