Eric Engels praises Nick Suzuki for reaching another level

Sportsnets Eric Engels follows the team closely, so when he gave Nick Suzuki the compliment that he reached another level, it was easy to get excited.

Suzuki has done his absolute best to lead the Habs through the trenches of the rebuild, and each season, statistically he has improved. But not only has he proven to be a shooting threat, while being a brilliant playmaker, he doesn't affect play only offensively. The Canadiens captain plays the game on the entire 200-foot sheet of ice, making his strong play in the attacking zone even more impressive.

It would be easy for Suzuki to cheat defensively in order to pad his numbers, which I think would be the case. But Suzuki is devoted to leading the Canadiens the right way, playing both sides of the puck and doing whatever Martin St. Louis asks of him. Whether it be an important penalty kill, a key faceoff or a clutch setup or goal, Suzuki's consistency shines through.

Suzuki doesn't often look like he is slacking, behind the play or just not moving his feet, so that isn't what Engels means. I believe that Engels knows that Suzuki is capable of point-per-game tallies, all while playing a strong two-way game. He knows that Suzuki has that extra level that some of the best players have, and he reached it on Monday afternoon against the Buffalo Sabres.

Suzuki recorded two goals and two assists, bringing his point total to 17 through 16 games. The performance stopped a four-game pointless streak for the captain. It also snapped the Canadiens' six-game losing streak - it was a performance that Suzuki needed for his confidence.

Juraj Slafkovsky jokes about Suzuki missing on a hat trick

The empty net goal should have been awarded to Suzuki before the puck ever reached Christian Dvorak's stick. Suzuki was tripped up entering the neutral zone, but the play went uncalled. The puck eventually ended up in the back of the net, with Suzuki drawing his second assist and fourth point of the game.

Despite not getting the tally, Suzuki showed up for the team when they needed it most. It's hard to come back from a six game losing streak, but it starts with flipping to a new streak. With the captain feeling hot after a four point performance, focus shifts to the next game.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited, with the Candiens feeling good after a 7-5 win. Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky feeling confident will go a long way for the next six games.