On Thursday morning, several Montreal Canadiens players were absent from practice.
Following the Canadiens’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Christian Dvorak, Brendan Gallagher, Jake Evans, Mike Matheson, and Cayden Primeau went to therapy.
Matheson played over 31 minutes against the Penguins, a season high for the 29-year-old defenseman. It should also be noted that, despite a difficult start to the season, Matheson’s underlying numbers have significantly improved in recent weeks. He’s back to being the high-end defenseman he was when he first joined the team.
Gallagher was forced to retreat to the locker room after blocking a shot in the second period. He returned to the bench quickly and finished the game, but he appeared to be in pain as he walked off the ice.
Before the start of practice, head coach Martin St-Louis spoke with Cole Caufield.
This season, the 22-year-old is on pace to score 20 goals, which is a reasonable output level for most players. Caufield, on the other hand, recently signed a massive contract extension worth $7.85 million per year on average. That type of contract comes with certain expectations, which only adds to Caufield’s stress.
He’s not playing poorly, he’s coming off a major surgery, and his underlying numbers have improved by leaps and bounds this season, but he’ll face increased scrutiny from fans and analysts until he starts scoring more consistently.
Juraj Slafkovsky has looked impressive since joining the top line with Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Their possession numbers are very encouraging, indicating a great process, but the results are still lacking.
Slafkovsky hasn’t scored a regulation goal since November 18 and is on pace for just 20 points this season.
Regardless of his progress, it’s also fair to say that a first-round pick should be on track for more than 20 points in his second year in the league.
On Wednesday morning, Slafkovsky was busy practicing his breakaway moves, just what the doctor ordered for a player who is struggling to finish plays.
The Montreal Canadiens return to action on Saturday. At the Bell Centre, they will play the New York Islanders. The puck will drop at 7 p.m. ET.
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