With one goal this season, it’s not unreasonable to suggest more was expected from Canadiens’ forward Juraj Slafkovsky.
And while the former first-round draft choice in 2022 must be feeling unlucky following Tuesday night’s 3-2 overtime loss at home to Calgary, the 20-year-old said he’s not surprised to be struggling offensively — along with many of his teammates — and confessed he must raise the level of his play.
“Of course I’m disappointed,” Slafkovsky told The Gazette following Wednesday’s practice at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard. “I’m not surprised. The way I’ve been playing, I don’t know, maybe I don’t deserve the goals. I just need to skate faster and do all the things better. Then I’ll start scoring.”
Slafkovsky’s lone goal came Oct. 14, against Pittsburgh, in a 6-3 loss. He has eight points in 10 games, having missed three contests late last month with an undisclosed upper-body injury.
Slafkovsky was in position twice to score against the Flames. He might have converted a power-play rebound in the first period, but Kirby Dach’s shot struck and broke his stick. And early in the third, Slafkovsky hit the post.
He scored 20 goals and 50 points in 82 games last season while averaging nearly 18 minutes’ ice time. Although Slafkovsky was a minus-19 on a struggling non-playoff team, his play improved once he started using his 6-foot-3, 225-pound body and going to the net. It also didn’t hurt his production to be teamed with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield on Montreal’s top line.
Slafkovsky started this season with the same linemates, but has since been replaced by Dach or, briefly, Emil Heineman. Slafkovsky played with Alex Newhook and Jake Evans against Calgary.
“The injury for sure didn’t affect me,” Slafkovsky said. “I don’t think nothing affects me. It’s only me and I’ve got to figure my stuff out. It’s not a big deal. We’ve still got 69 games left. Hopefully I get to score at least … I don’t know. We’ll see how many. I don’t even think about who I’m playing with. I know I have to bring my best game, whomever I’m playing with.”
The Canadiens (4-7-2) now are on a four-game losing skid and have only two wins in their last 10, although one of the defeats came in a shootout along with the overtime loss to the Flames. Following 13 games last season Montreal’s record was 6-5-2. Their longest losing streak, a five-game stretch, occurred between Feb. 15-24, although they twice endured four-game losing streaks.
“The worst part of losing is a half-hour after the game,” head coach Martin St. Louis admitted. “You’re emotionally invested in a result you’re after that you don’t get. It’s disappointing. After that, it’s all about the next day and having some truth to what the next day brings. To me, losing is right after the game, when it’s fresh. That can be hard.”
Things aren’t about to get any easier for St. Louis and his team. Thursday night’s game at New Jersey (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM) is the start of a four-game road trip that includes stops in Toronto Saturday night and Buffalo Monday afternoon. The team’s scheduled for a day off on Tuesday and practises in Brossard on Wednesday before going to Minnesota, Nov. 14.
The Devils (8-5-2) are second in the Metropolitan Division.
While the season’s still relatively early, this has the potential of going off the rails quickly unless the Canadiens start winning games and scoring goals. Only four times this season has Montreal scored four or more goals in a game.
“Because of our record are those games more difficult?” St. Louis said. “I don’t think so. They’d be difficult if we had a winning record right now. We’re just going to prepare for what’s in front of us. We can’t worry about what’s behind us, what’s on Saturday. You prepare for Jersey and try to be the best version of yourself. Usually when you do that you put yourself in a good spot.
“For me, as (the coach of) a young group, when you’re doing everything right and you’re not getting the results, don’t get impatient. Stay the course. I feel like in the second period (against Calgary) we got a little impatient with some of our decisions in the offensive zone.”
The Canadiens made some roster moves on Wednesday, loaning rookie forward Oliver Kapanen to Timrå in the Swedish Hockey League, where his father is the general manager. Kapanen had two assists in 12 games and was limited to 7:54 of ice time against the Flames. At the same time, Laval Rocket captain Lucas Condotta was recalled on his 27th birthday to replace Kapanen.
Samuel Montembeault, who faced 36 Calgary shots, is scheduled to start in net against New Jersey, according to St. Louis.