First Tally As Canadiens Captain
Captain Suzuki has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Well, head coach Martin St. Louis, general manager Kent Hughes and vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton thought so, too. Suzuki’s captaincy was revealed, and Brendan Gallagher and Joel Edmundson were his two assistant captains. At just 23 years old, Suzuki became the youngest captain in the history of the Canadiens.
This was another showcase of the mind that Suzuki possesses. His knowledge of how to play around the opposition’s net is incredible. Suzuki tried to shake the defender and then slipped around the side of the net, sliding a shot five-hole past Washington Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Suzuki, 23, at the time, scored a career-high 26 goals and matched his career-high in assists with 40. His 66 points led the team, doing a large chunk of it without his trigger man, Cole Caufield.
Suzuki & Caufield Play Pass, Before Suzuki Beats Jack Campbell To Push A Game 6
When Suzuki and Caufield exploded out of their zone on a two-one zero, the pair slowed things down by playing the give-and-go. Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell overplayed Caufield, which is usually the best decision. But Suzuki took advantage of the open space and iced the Leafs in overtime with a wicked slingshot-style one-timer.
The goal came off of an awful turnover from former Canadiens second-overall selection Alex Galchenyuk. So, the significance had an added familiarity layer. This one was big, and it set forth quite a series of events. As we know, the Habs went to the Stanley Cup final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.