It’s been about one month since Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis put together the team’s current No. 1 line. In that time, the trio consisting of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkosvky have quickly developed chemistry.
It’s too early to tell if this combination will be one we’re seeing for years to come, but with all three seeing a notable boost in their stat sheets since becoming a unit, the Canadiens could finally have a bona fide top line.
As Sportsnet’s Nathan Murdock pointed out in a recent X post, over the past 13 games, the Canadiens’ current top line has combined for an impressive 29 points with each player logging a GF% greater than 65%.
Montreal Canadiens (#GoHabsGo) 1st line stats since they were put together:
Cole Caufield: 13GP 8PTS 67% xGF%
Nick Suzuki: 13GP 14PTS 65% xGF%
Juraj Slafkovsky: 13GP 7PTS 68% xGF%
All 3 are top 3 in Habs' xGF% since December 4th. pic.twitter.com/g7DWJdYoaA
— Nathan "Grav" (@NathanGraviteh) January 3, 2024
While the numbers are based on a baker’s dozen’s worth of games, Montreal’s first trio didn’t find success for the first handful, with Slafkovsky going pointless in his first five and Caufield limited to just one assist. Suzuki, though, has remained consistent, keeping a near-point-per-game basis no matter the circumstances.
After that five-game hump, Slafkosvk, along with providing a physical presence, has logged two goals and five assists, boosting his season point total to 14. And while it’s not apparent in the stats column, the 19-year-old has also been making plenty of key offensive plays.
For example, upon recovering a puck that led to a Caufield goal during Tuesday’s game against the Dallas Stars, teammate Jordan Harris later noted that Slafkovsky “should get an honourary assist – he made a great play.”
Juraj Slafkovsky keeps the puck alive, and a tic-tac-toe play leads to a Caufield power play goal! pic.twitter.com/hXk3oZbgJT
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla) January 3, 2024
While the duo of Suzuki and Caufield has long been touted as effective, the Canadiens’ other wing slot has been shuffled plenty of times. Players like Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Brendan Gallagher, and Josh Anderson have all earned tryouts in recent months, but none have stuck.
Last season, fans saw Kirby Dach round out the trio nicely, but with him out for the year with injury, Slafkovsky has been a welcome consolation.
And with Suzuki being the oldest of the bunch at just 24 years old, the ceiling of the Habs’ young core remains to be seen.
Despite making positive strides, Montreal’s top players know there’s a lot of work to be done.
“We’re not satisfied with anything,” Caufield, who has three goals in his last three games, said Tuesday. “I think as a group we’re coming, we’re knocking on the door, it’s close, we can see it and that’s what’s driving us right now.”
As they remain on the hunt for an Eastern Conference wildcard spot, the Canadiens take on the Buffalo Sabres tonight at 7 pm ET.
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