Picks up a aim and an help as Habs head house for Christmas break after incomes factors in every of their final 5 video games (3-0-2).
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The Canadiens received the NHL Draft Lottery a 12 months too early.
That’s not a knock on Juraj Slafkovsky, however No. 1 general draft picks aren’t all created equal.
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The Canadiens chosen Slafkovsky with the No. 1 decide in 2022 and the Chicago Blackhawks took Connor Bedard at No. 1 this 12 months.
Whereas Slafkovsky is a venture at age 19 and nonetheless taking child steps — whether or not they be fancy analytics stats exhibiting his enchancment or the attention check watching him begin to use his 6-foot-3, 230-pound physique extra to his benefit — Bedard is already a star at age 18.
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The 2 No. 1 general picks squared off Friday evening in Chicago with the Canadiens beating the Blackhawks 5-2 and Slafkovsky stealing the highlight from Bedard. Slafkovsky had a aim and an help, whereas Bedard was restricted to 1 help.
Mitchell Stephens, Josh Anderson, Nick Suzuki and David Savard (empty-netter) additionally scored for the Canadiens, who got here again from a 2-0 deficit early within the second interval and improved their file to 15-13-5, together with 8-4-3 on the highway. The Canadiens have earned factors in 5 straight video games (3-0-2) and are solely three factors out of a playoff spot within the Japanese Convention.
Ryan Donato and Jason Dickinson scored for the Blackhawks, who fell to 10-21-1.
This sport included a number of firsts for the Canadiens.
Stephens, who spent all of final season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, scored his first aim within the NHL since March 3, 2020, when he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Slafkovsky scored in back-to-back video games for the primary time in his NHL profession and goalie Cayden Primeau received back-to-back video games for the primary time within the NHL because the Canadiens outshot the Blackhawks 28-21. Defenceman Jayden Struble obtained in his first NHL combat, dropping the gloves with MacKenzie Entwistle within the second interval.
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Highway to the Cup
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Anderson now has 5 targets this season, together with 4 within the final 4 video games, whereas Suzuki prolonged his level streak to 5 video games with 2-6-8 totals throughout that span. Suzuki now leads the Canadiens in targets (10), assists (20) and factors (30).
“I like the place my sport is correct now,” Suzuki advised reporters in Chicago after the sport. “It’s only a matter of holding that constant sport, realizing I can do it each evening. I believed my begin was fairly dangerous in the present day, however I used to be in a position to come again within the second interval and play higher and have a great sport general.”
Bedard has 12-17-29 totals to guide all rookies in scoring whereas enjoying on a workforce that’s tied with the San Jose Sharks for final place within the general NHL standings and will find yourself with the No. 1 general draft decide once more subsequent 12 months.
Slafkovsky has 4-8-12 totals this season, together with 2-3-5 totals within the final 4 video games.
These child steps are beginning to get greater.
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GM Kent Hughes mentioned final week on The Sick Podcast — The Eye Check that he believes will probably be one other three or 4 years earlier than Slafkovsky turns into the participant the Canadiens hope he will probably be.
This was the ninth straight sport Slafkovsky performed on the No. 1 line with Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Slafkovsky had gone 13 video games with no aim earlier than scoring in Thursday’s 4-3 extra time loss to the Wild in Minnesota.
“It’s been enjoyable to observe his development,” Suzuki mentioned about Slafkovsky. “Every sport he appears to get extra snug. We didn’t actually have the very best first interval, however he dialed again in. He scores a giant aim. He’s come a great distance because the first sport he’s performed with us. Simply seeing that day by day from him is superior.”
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Slafkovsky used his measurement to combat off Blackhawks defenceman Isaak Phillips in entrance of the online to bang house a unfastened puck within the crease. Towards Minnesota, Slafkovsky was standing in entrance of the online when some extent shot from Savard went in off his leg.
“Yesterday, it went off the leg,” Slafkovsky advised reporters in Chicago after the sport. “At the moment at the very least it went off the stick. So it’s getting nearer … possibly I’ll begin scoring from a bit farther out, too.
“I simply really feel higher general, really feel higher making performs,” Slafkovsky added. “Taking part in with these two guys, it’s unbelievable they usually’re simply serving to me and we’re serving to one another.”
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Slafkovsky and his teammates flew again to Montreal after the sport and can get pleasure from a four-day Christmas break earlier than flying to Carolina subsequent Wednesday and dealing with the Hurricanes the next evening.
Slafkovsky has performed extra NHL video games (72) and has extra factors (8-14-22) than some other participant chosen on the 2022 draft. However Logan Cooley (chosen third general by Arizona), Pavel Mintyukov (chosen tenth general by Anaheim) and Matthew Poitras (chosen within the second spherical, 54th general, by Boston) are shortly catching up in factors after making their NHL debuts this season. Cooley has 3-14-17 totals in 32 video games with the Coyotes, Mintyukov has 2-15-17 totals in 32 video games with the Geese and Poitras has 5-8-13 totals in 27 video games with the Bruins. Boston has loaned Poitras to Crew Canada for the world junior championship, which begins Boxing Day in Gothenberg, Sweden.
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Bedard was the star finally season’s world junior championship with 9-14-23 totals in seven video games whereas serving to Crew Canada win the gold medal.
Friday evening was Bedard’s second and ultimate sport this season in opposition to the Canadiens. He additionally had one help when the Canadiens beat the Blackhawks 3-2 of their house opener on the Bell Centre on Oct. 14.
It will likely be fascinating to see what kind of progress Bedard and Slafkovsky have made once they meet once more subsequent season.
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