If there’s one thing that has held about Juraj Slafkovsky since the start of his career, it’s that he’s always his harshest critic. On Wednesday night, it was still the case after the Montreal Canadiens dropped game two of their first-round series against the Washington Capitals 3-1.
It was a visibly emotional Slafkovsky who spoke to the media, providing a tough assessment not only of himself, but of the whole team:
Everyone here has to be better, starting with me and then everyone else. We’ve got to show a different kind of energy and a different kind of game on Friday at home.- Juraj Slafkovsky on the need to be better
The Capitals play a tough physical game, but it’s not beyond what the 21-year-old power forward expected. After the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, the former first overall pick said he needed to play a more physical game to succeed in the NHL and would like to bring the kind of game Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk brings, and at times, he has done it. Still, he has yet to find that kind of game consistently, and he knows it:
I just got to play more physical myself, got to be better.- Slafkovsky on the need to be more physical
In game two, the big Slovak landed three hits and sent seven shots to the net, although only five made it there. Still, he committed giveaways attributed to a lack of concentration or execution. The no-look back passes can fly in exhibition games or scrimmages, but they have no place in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and he’s learning it the hard way.
Asked if the fact that they knew they didn’t play their best the whole way through was something the Canadiens could build on, Slafkovsky indicated that it was often the case:
You know, there’s always something lacking. We always talk about, "Oh, today was this, tomorrow it’s something else." We have to have an almost perfect game to win.-
Visibly, the youngster had had enough of the team’s and his own uneven effort. The Canadiens showed a knack for coming from behind in the third period this season, but only providing your best effort in the last frame will rarely be enough come playoff time. Coach Martin St-Louis will preach to the converted the next time he tells his players they must play better earlier.
The Canadiens slept in Washington last night and will fly back to Montreal this morning. There will be a media availability early, before the flight, but no practice is scheduled. This isn’t surprising as St-Louis appreciates the value of a rest day, but when the Canadiens hit the ice for morning skate on Friday, the bench boss will have some adjustments to make.
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