Call of the wild: Montreal Canadiens downing St.Louis Blues

Still, it was a tough game to watch. Jordan Harris suffered a concussion after being hit by Sammy Blais. Harris hit his head on the boards, fell to the ice and hit his head again.

Harris was on his knees with his coach. He should not exert himself for the next ten days. This is the word of the medical community, which understands the long-term effects of concussions.

Marco Scandella set up Kayden Gul late in the third period. He was in a lot of pain on the way to the tunnel. Gule was holding his hand and holding it close to his body. This may be a sign of shoulder dislocation.

Then there was the overall performance of the Canadians. This is a special team to watch right now, because if the top line doesn't perform at a strong level, the rest of the forward group won't be able to provide enough support. Suzuki's line cannot currently expect sustained support elsewhere. Maybe next year will be better, but this is a one-line hockey team.

It took the defense 33 plays, but we saw Jayden Struble's first real bad moment. He was a revelation, but in the first minute he was cleanly knocked out. That led to the first goal and the start of a tough day for everyone.

Among them was the not-so-sharp Jake Allen. He lost his position in the first goal, which caused him to take a shot. The second goal allowed was a point kick that he didn't really check, but he didn't seem to see the shot. It should be.

The rest were academic. Allen continued to fight. Struble continued to show that the path to becoming a great NHL defenseman is all about ups and downs. Three networks tried to help.

Wild cards

In the summer of 2022, the Montreal Canadiens had the first pick in the draft. They surprised Yurai Slafkovsky. Even two seasons later, it looks like they made the right choice. Slafkovsky could not even win a simple puck battle, but by the end of the second season, the Slovak was ahead of his peers.

It appears to be a battle between Slafkowski and second baseman Simon Nemec, who is 14 points and minus-6 in 29 games as a guard in New Jersey.

However, it's all Slafkowski going forward. He has half the goals scored by players during his draft season. He is ahead of his rivals, especially in total goals. It has been developing rapidly since the beginning of December. Slafkowski has been on pace for 63 points since head coach Martin St. Louis put him in the starting lineup.

His main competition was Logan Cooley, who is an offensive player and has been putting up respectable numbers this season with 25 points in 50 games. Playing 5-on-5 at center, Cooley is really trying to learn how to play NHL-style hockey on defense.

Cooley is minus 10 overall. The Coyotes have only two players worse. Cooley will be fine, but the team blew him and he was surprised he should have been picked. When it comes to running the line, Slafkowski on the wing has a much stronger skill set than Cooley as a center so far.

The player everyone thought the Canadiens would get, Shane Wright, is still in the American Hockey League. In his second season after the draft, Wright scored 32 points in 42 games.

Cooley of the future may learn how to defend as a center. Wright, of the Coachella Valley, could be a great educator. Cutter Gauthier could be a sleeper at the end, also accepted at five.

Right now, it's not even close: As bold and aggressive as Slafkowski was in the top spot, GM Kent Hughes probably got it right. Most of the 2022 picks haven't even debuted.