Fight, winning goal and celebration: Juraj Slafkovsky is full of confidence

The Montreal Canadiens have had a rather frustrating season so far, despite the team’s respectable 12-12-3 record.

Why is that?

Well, for one thing, because the CH is still in No Man’s Land, and is very likely to end the season there.

The CH won’t make the playoffs, but neither will they end up in the bottom half of the NHL in order to get a top draft pick. That’s No Man’s Land.

Two, because many of the players we’d love to see progress in another rebuilding season are either injured (Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Jordan Harris and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard) or not performing up to expectations (Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Arber Xhekaj and Justin Barron).

And if we go back a few weeks, I could have added Juraj Slafkovsky’s name to this second list of players not performing up to expectations.

However, I didn’t name him, and that’s because the 19-year-old Slovakian has been playing excellent hockey for several games now, especially since he was placed on the first line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

Slafkovsky’s recent very good performances finally give us something positive to remember in this rather decent season.

1. Slaf is playing inspired hockey, and his confidence seems high, as he proved last night in Buffalo with an excellent game in the CH’s 3-2 shootout win.

Juraj Slafkovsky’s shootout winner.

Goodnight you dirty Buffalo bastards pic.twitter.com/V2TyzojbLb

– HFTV (@HFTVSports) December 10, 2023

The Slovakian was probably the Tricolore’s best forward in this game, which isn’t a first when you look at the Tricolore’s recent games.

In fact, for several games now, the CH’s number 20 has stood out virtually every time he appears, with excellent plays and flashes of brilliance.

Slaf was at it again yesterday, not only generating good scoring chances time and time again, but also throwing down the gloves, scoring the winning shootout goal and celebrating in what I would describe as a “cold” moment.

The youngster’s confidence is soaring, and last night’s shootout winner will only add to the confidence he’s building.

It’s great to see that the game has finally slowed down for the 2022 first overall pick.

Slafkovsky isn’t getting rid of the puck anymore, and he’s taking the time to make the right plays, and beautiful ones too.

It always seemed to run out of time, but now that seems to be a thing of the past.

Slaf has understood many things about his game, not least the physical aspect.

He uses his great physique and reach to his advantage, which reminds me somewhat of a certain Kirby Dach.

Dach has continued to help Slafkovsky despite his injury.

In short, Slafkovsky is finally showing us the full extent of his potential, and that really gives us confidence for what’s to come with the Montreal Canadiens.

Yes, he’s not amassing that many points (seven in 27 games), but don’t worry, the points will eventually follow his current good performances.

It’s only a matter of time before Slafkovsky puts more points on the score sheet.

Remember that he’s only 19 years old, and that Kent Hughes said he’d selected the player he thought would be the best in the long term, not right now.

En Rafale

– Completely ridiculous.

– What a great goal.

– Good for them.

– Coming up.