Confidence is key to Juraj Slafkowski's recent success with the Canadiens

Juraj Slafkovsky can't say how he changed the season.

His Montreal Canadiens teammates can clearly see that — he's a young talent playing with the confidence he's lost in a tough rookie season.

“It's always been that way for Slaf,” defenseman Kaiden Goulet said Wednesday at the CN Sports Complex, the Canadiens' practice facility.

The first overall pick in the 2022 draft, Slafkowski had an impressive four goals and six assists in 39 games last season before a lower-body injury ended his campaign.

The 19-year-old Slovakian has also stumbled this season with seven points in his first 29 games. In 24 games since then, he has 20 points — including five goals and four assists in a current six-point streak — while playing alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield in Montreal.

“He's always had skill and intelligence, and I think that was something that was taken a little bit with him last year, just that poise and confidence,” Goulet said. “He's definitely got it back now.”

On Tuesday night, Slafkowski hit his first career three-point game in a 5-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks.

He collected the first two with patient passes to Suzuki before scoring himself on the Canadiens power play, which has shot 23% — ninth in the league — since joining the top division on Dec. 4.

“I already knew how to make all those plays, I just wasn't as confident as I used to be in making them,” Slafkowski said. “Now I'm playing more with the puck and getting more opportunities.”

Along with his increased production, Slafkowski has been consistently hitting early in the season and winning most puck battles despite his six-foot-three, 230-pound frame.

Defensive end Mike Matheson said the young forward reminds him of former Florida Panthers teammate Alexander Barkov, who is considered one of the best two-way centers in the game.

“They play different positions,” Matheson said. “But he has a work ethic, he's very tough on himself like Barky, he always wants to improve like Barky. Their bodies and movements are also similar.”

Slafkovksi will try to extend his hitting streak to seven games on Thursday when the Canadiens (22-23-8) visit the New York Rangers (34-16-3).

Suzuki answers

Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes faced questions about Montreal's lack of elite offensive talent when he became available midway through the season on Jan. 15.

With its latest game, Suzuki is doing its best to show that the Canadians are good in this department.

“When you hear things like that, I think it's good to take it and turn it into a positive and a little bit of an 'FU' attitude,” Goulet said of Suzuki, who had a day of therapy Wednesday. “He's very quiet, he doesn't talk about things like that, but you can tell he has that attitude, that there's fire in his eyes.”

The Canadiens captain has seven goals and seven assists during his current eight-game hitting streak and is tied for third in the league with MVP candidate Nathan MacKinnon during that stretch.

With Tuesday's three-point night, Suzuki jumped to 51 points in 53 games and tied Tomas Plekanec (2009-10) and Alex Kovalev (2005-06) as the fastest Habs players to reach the 50-point plateau in a single game. Saku Koivu in 2002-03 season since playing in 52 games.

Suzuki (24), Caufield (23) and Slafkowksi accounted for 20 of Montreal's last 37 goals and showed they could become one of the Canadiens' bright spots this season and form a strong team in the NHL for years to come. .

“It's a tough league, so it's impressive for them to have as much success as they did when they were young,” Matheson said. “You can see them continue to build, build and build together this year.”

Gally returns

Veteran striker Brendan Gallagher is back from a temporary suspension – and he doesn't expect to be sidelined again.

“I've been playing this game for a long time, not just in the NHL, and I've never been suspended,” Gallagher said. “I don't think it's going to happen again. It was a surprise for me when it happened.”

Gallagher was suspended five games on Jan. 26 for elbowing New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech in the head in the neutral zone nine minutes into the Canadiens' 4-3 win.

The 31-year-old said he initially intended to direct Pelech to the right side of the ice before deciding to take the shot at the last second.

“That's when I overshot my corner and, you know, it's a quick game, it was quick,” Gallagher said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 14, 2024.