Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky showed glimpses of being one of the best first lines in the NHL last season. It gave the Montreal Canadiens hope that they'd elevate the team to new heights this season, but they started cold this season. It caused Martin St. Louis to shake up the lines, but eventually the trio reunited and returned to their form from the tail-end of 2023-24.
As the Canadiens returned from the Four Nations Faceoff, there weren't many reasons to believe the team had what it took to make a late playoff push. Most fans started to look towards the draft again instead of the playoffs, but the first line has put the team on their back to look like the possible recipients of the second wild card spot.
Look no further than the play of the first line and the stat Sportsnet showed on the broadcast Saturday night. Caufield and Slafkovsky are in a tie for seventh in the league with six goals since the break, while Suzuki leads the league in points with 17. If the Canadiens can get that production for the remainder of the season, there's a good chance they see their playoff chances realized.
Don't let them get hot 👀 pic.twitter.com/K32zPFPJip
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 15, 2025
The first line has a simple blend that works in hockey. Slafkovsky is the burly power forward who finally realizes he has to play a physical game to be effective. Suzuki is the two-way playmaking center who can do it all at both ends of the ice. Caufield is the sniper on the right side who can feed off those two players, find open spots in the defense, and put away the chances the other two create.
The trio combined for 67 goals and and 171 points this season. Compare that with a line like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Matthew Knies who many point to as one of the best first lines in hockey. They combined for 69 goals and 180 points this season. The narrative is starting to change, but it's time for the fans to start giving Suzuki, Caufield, and Slafkovsky some more respect.