Two of the Montreal Canadiens brightest stars were one point shy of posting a personal record and they managed to reach it on the same tally.
Nick Suzuki entered the game against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night one point shy of a new career high in points (67). Juraj Slafkovsky was one point away from becoming the highest-scoring teenager in Canadiens history. Slafkovsky drew an assist, his 40th point of the season on Suzuki's 29th goal and 67th point of the season.
sur cette photo : l'adolescent qui a obtenu le + de points (40) en une saison dans l'histoire des Canadiens
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 27, 2024
HI2T0RY! Juraj Slafkovsky the new record holder for most points by a teenager in a season in franchise history#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/zONfNyUskb
It hasn't been the type of season that the Canadiens hoped for, but it has been a great year for development. No player has taken a bigger stride than Slafkovsky, who has established himself as one of the best wingers on the team. Meanwhile, Suzuki has improved his point production in nearly every category and his two-way game has continued to grow.
#GoHabsGo captain Nick Suzuki responds a few seconds later with his 29th goal of the year. Tie game! pic.twitter.com/QLYpFfPeWg
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) March 27, 2024
Suzuki's goal came nine seconds after Nathan MacKinnon opened the scoring for the Avalanche. So not only was the goal special for Suzuki, but it also put the Canadiens right back into the game. Suzuki continues to play impressive hockey, but against MacKinnon and the Avalanche, it continues to be all business.
This season may be a lost one at this point for the Canadiens but don't tell the players that. Everything that they are investing now, will be very important for the team next year. Especially when you consider that the Habs will be looking to take a big step in the rebuild, in what will be year three of the Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton era.
The management duo, along with head coach Martin St. Louis have breathed life into the Canadiens and there is so much reason for hope. This isn't close to the same team that Dominique Ducharme was fired from. They all play like a cohesive unit and the culture is as strong as it's ever been.
Slafkovsky is playing with an incredible amount of confidence and the scouts were banking on his pre-draft skills translating. The impressive Olympic MVP performance in all its glory wasn't just a flash in the pan. He is a dog on a bone along the boards and around the net in the attacking zone and it's easy to forget he doesn't turn 20 until the end of March.
Suzuki's impressive season also comes in a year where he hasn't sacrificed any of the things that earned St. Louis' trust. He continues to be a regular on the penalty kill while filling the net and creating time and space for his linemates. It's becoming increasingly more difficult to discredit Suzuki as the club's number-one centre, for all the doubters.
The excitement surrounding the draft, then next season is undeniable, which is a nod to the effectiveness of the Habs rebuild.