Even the biggest Montreal Canadiens fans will admit that the team, still in the midst of a rebuild, is not bound for the playoffs.
But neither naysayers nor Montreal’s losing record (20-21-8) have completely diminished the postseason ambitions of Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky.
When asked about facing the Washington Capitals, who are in the race for an Eastern Conference Wild Card spot, Slafkovsky was quick to clarify that the Habs are also still on the hunt.
“We are still trying to fight for a playoff spot, so we’ll try too. We’ll fight, too. We’ll bring another level, too,” he said.
Despite missing the latter stretch of his rookie season last year, Slafkovsky feels prepared for the intense matchups he’ll be met with over the final 30 games of the ongoing campaign.
“When a season is coming to an end, usually every team is like playing a little harder and fighting a little more,” he explained. “We had a good week off. I’m sure everyone is ready to bring their game to another level.”
Reporters later asked Cole Caufield, the 19-year-old’s linemate, about Slafkovsky’s comments. Caufield, who made his NHL debut shortly before the Canadiens made a run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, seemed to share the same sentiment.
“Like Juraj said, that’s what we’re after,” the 23-year-old said. “There’s a bunch of games left to get that done. Every game counts. Every game matters. Tonight’s the start of it.”
While spirits are still high, the Canadiens are now without one of their best forwards, trading Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets for a pair of draft picks last Friday.
And the absence of Monahan, who was only one of three Habs players to exceed the 10-goal mark this season, is already being felt.
“It’s sad. But we cannot do anything about it,” Slafkovsky added. “We just have to focus on the next game like he’s not here anymore. We miss him… but we’re gonna play hard no matter who is in.”
According to MoneyPuck.com, the Habs, currently tied for sixth place in the Atlantic Division, have a 2.2% chance of making the playoffs.
With three games scheduled over the next six days, they’ll look to get that number up.