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Canadiens Counting on Juraj Slafkovsky to Be a 'Difference Maker' in Playoffs
Slafkovsky’s 30 goals and 43 assists have made him Montreal’s top playoff hope as coach Martin St. Louis seeks more scoring and physical play.
- The Montreal Canadiens open their first-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday in Tampa, Fla., relying on 22-year-old winger Juraj Slafkovsky to continue his breakout performance after recording 30 goals this season.
- Coach Martin St. Louis compared Slafkovsky's development to the GPS app Waze, noting his non-linear growth; Slafkovsky became the first Slovak to reach 30 goals since Marian Hossa in 2013-14.
- Center Jake Evans noted Slafkovsky's ability to step up in big games, citing his performance at February's Milan Cortina Olympics; the winger added 43 assists and brings "pace and physicality" to the lineup.
- Defenceman Alexandre Carrier returned to practice Thursday, filling a critical need after fellow right-shot defenceman Noah Dobson was ruled out for at least two weeks on Sunday.
- Montreal enters the postseason with 106 points, their highest total since 2014-15, while the Lightning finished with a 50-26-6 record; the team hopes Slafkovsky's increased confidence will propel them through the Atlantic Division.
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13 Articles
13 Articles
The Toronto Star+6 Reposted by 6 other sources
Canadiens counting on Juraj Slafkovsky to be a ‘difference maker’ in playoffs
BROSSARD - As Juraj Slafkovsky struggled to find his footing in the NHL, Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis drew an analogy between his development and the GPS app “Waze.”
·Toronto, Canada
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Winnipeg Free Press+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Canadiens counting on Juraj Slafkovsky to be a 'difference maker' in playoffs
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
·Winnipeg, Canada
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Slafkovsky, young Canadiens steeled by last year's playoff experience
BROSSARD, Que. — Juraj Slafkovsky stood stunned, with his voice tremoring and his eyes locked in a 1000-yard stare. “We just have to play better, and we will,” Slafkovsky kept saying after sobering losses to the Washington Capitals last April. His demeanour betrayed the confidence he wanted to portray following the first two games of his Stanley Cup Playoff career. It was clear the experience shook Slafkovsky. But by the time five games were pla…
·Canada
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Total News Sources13
Leaning Left7Leaning Right0Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution88% Left
Bias Distribution
- 88% of the sources lean Left
88% Left
L 88%
12%
Factuality
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