If Montreal gets in, watch for Nick Suzuki to lead the Canadiens

Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens captain that is, has been a clutch playoff performer since his OHL days. The same can be said about Suzuki, the NHL player, who was a pillar for the Habs' success during the Canadiens Stanley Cup berth in 2021.
Ottawa Senators v Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators v Montreal Canadiens | Minas Panagiotakis/GettyImages

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is no stranger to carrying the weight of expectation.

At least, it looks that way when you watch him play, because, despite the level of importance of the situation, he elevates the level at which he plays. Something takes over in No. 14, and it's almost scary, for other teams I would think when he turns the dial up. Since the Four Nations Break, Suzuki has cranked the dial to 25, and his intent is clear.

The first Canadian Stanley Cup since 1993 would create a gigantic shockwave through Canada. What better way to bring the Cup back to Canada, than with the last team who won it North of the border, to do it all over again 32 years later? A 25th Stanley Cup feels like the perfect way to end the 2024-25 season.

Suzuki is a 1999 birthday, so it was six years before he was born that the Habs won the Stanley Cup. But after proving in the OHL that he is a clutch playoff performer, Suzuki was dominant with the Canadiens during the Habs 2020-21 playoff run, forming a nice duo with Cole Caufield. Caufield was born after 2000, January 2, 2001, to be exact.

People still question his validity as a number-one centre, I think he is one of the top centre's in the league flat out.

If the Habs have any intentions of squeezing their way into the final wildcard spot, one thing is a must. That is the play of Suzuki, it has to be at the elevated level that he has proven capable of playing at. Suzuki is not the same guy from '21, and the experience from then, and since, will be huge for the 25-year-old.

Now, and especially if the Habs make the playoffs, the Habs' top line, driven by the captain's reliable two-way play will be relied upon heaviest by Martin St. Louis.

Suzuki, Caufield looking to lead young core

If you look through the Canadiens roster, there has been tremendous turnover since their 4-1 series loss in the Stanley Cup final to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

No. 22, at the time, now No. 13, and No. 14 were dynamic for the Canadiens, and they were fortunate to be taken under the wing of guys like Carey Price, Shea Weber, Joel Edmundson and Corey Perry, among others. Having such veterans during tough runs is huge, and the way they lead by example and rub off on the young guys eventually pays dividends in the future.

And that is precisely where the Canadiens fall, who have ever intention of getting into the playoffs, and then putting their best foot forward. Right now, the Habs would play the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals. If you remember, back in 2009-10, Jaroslav Halak played for the eighth-seed Habs, who beat out the juggernaut Capitals, during Alex Ovechkin's prime no less, in the first round, and then eliminated prime Sidney Crosby, and his Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round.

Hockey has a weird way of creating some intriguing storylines, and the Habs beating the Capitals in the first round this year, is likely not on many people's bingo cards. However, anything can happen once you make it into the playoffs. Each team is back to square one, and the regular season statistics become null and void.

The first team to win 16 games is the champion. Having a guy like Suzuki, who has drawn comparisons to Patrice Bergeron, for his leadership, strong two-way play and clutch abilities. But most importantly because he is the glue that brings the team together, and pulls every guy in the dressing room through the battle.

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