St. Louis restores Slafkovsky to the first line after being replaced by Demidov against the Kings
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
During the Montreal Canadiens' last game, young forward Juraj Slafkovsky was punished by head coach Martin St. Louis.
He skipped several shifts, was replaced by Ivan Demidov on the first line, and was even the target of some criticism after the game.
"It was a really bad game for Juraj Slafkovsky.
What I hate most about his game - and it's a recurring theme - are those infamous passes through the middle of the ice.
He puts his teammates in trouble.
He's a player who needs to play more north-south; when he starts playing east-west, he gets himself into trouble.
He needs to keep the puck along the boards, because I'm sorry, but he doesn't have the hockey IQ to start making passes through the middle of the ice like Demidov can.
That's not who Slafkovsky is!"
- Anthony Marcotte, on BPM Sports
What I hate most about his game - and it's a recurring theme - are those infamous passes through the middle of the ice.
He puts his teammates in trouble.
He's a player who needs to play more north-south; when he starts playing east-west, he gets himself into trouble.
He needs to keep the puck along the boards, because I'm sorry, but he doesn't have the hockey IQ to start making passes through the middle of the ice like Demidov can.
That's not who Slafkovsky is!"
- Anthony Marcotte, on BPM Sports
In short, the game against the Kings was definitely a night to forget for young Slafkovsky.
Juraj Slafkovsky's punishment is over: Martin St. Louis immediately puts him back on the first line
In my opinion, that's a good thing, but it's also interesting to see that St. Louis won't hesitate to make the change and place young Ivan Demidov on the first line when needed.
"For those wondering: no, Ivan Demidov did not take Slaf's spot on the first line this morning at practice (as he did in the third period against the Kings)."
Marc-Olivier Cook
Marc-Olivier Cook
The message was sent to Slafkovsky, and now I'm really looking forward to seeing how he responds tonight against the Dallas Stars.
I would really love to see Slafkovsky have a big game and quickly make everyone forget his performance on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
Speaking of young Slaf, some already have other plans for him, with one analyst suggesting he could be part of a trade if it meant the Canadiens acquiring Tage Thompson.
A situation to watch, then!
Juraj Slafkovsky, only 21 years old, is a 6-foot-3, 225-pound forward who was, of course, the Montreal Canadiens' first-overall pick in 2022.
He has 120 points in 216 NHL career games, including 48 goals. This season, he has 9 points in 16 games, including 6 goals.
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