Canadiens fans are the best in the world – Canada Boosts

We see what an concerned proprietor and a coach near his gamers (and revered by them) can do for a membership…

Saturday evening, the Canadiens stunned the highest workforce of their convention – and age-old enemy – in entrance of their followers on the Bell Centre. It was Cole Caufield Kaiden Guhle who determined the sport in extra time, after Samuel Montembeault made spectacular saves for over 60 minutes. The folks there paid a hefty worth for his or her ticket, however they received their cash’s price!

Sadly, Montreal’s fairytale ended on Sunday evening as Casey DeSmith and the Canucks spoiled the social gathering on the Bell Centre. Nonetheless, the ultimate rating (5 to 2) doesn’t signify the tempo of the sport: Jake Allen was as strong as Casey DeSmith, the Canucks scored two empty-net targets, they usually solely had 5 extra pictures than the Montrealers. The sport may have gone both manner, to cite Martin St-Louis.

A purpose disallowed attributable to an offside by Cole Caufield (once more!?) probably modified the sport by itself. It was that sort of match.
However the participant who has been the discuss of the city since final evening in Montreal is Juraj Slafkovsky. He was saved off the rating sheet, completed the sport at minus-2, he didn’t distribute any hits… however he received six pictures on purpose (and noticed Canucks gamers block a number of others as properly). Slafkovsky was named the third star of the sport and thus, the very best participant of the CH in opposition to the ‘Nucks.
Martin St-Louis even stated after the sport that Slafkovsky had performed his finest sport of the marketing campaign.

Mike Matheson additionally had excessive reward for his younger teammate after the sport.

I feel I agree with them. Slaf was additionally good within the first sport of the season alongside Kirby Dach, however he was in all probability even higher final evening.
Many individuals additionally took to social media to reward Slafkovsky yesterday.

Within the loss in opposition to the Canucks, Juraj Slafkovsky took his sport to a different degree.
Report #rds #ch https://t.co/mOosp2DF4a

— Luc Gelinas (@LucGelinasRDS) November 13, 2023

Nonetheless, ultimately, Slafkovsky has solely two factors – together with only one purpose – in 15 video games for the reason that begin of the season. He has the worst factors per sport ratio on the workforce.

He solely has a differential of minus-6 in 2023-24.

He has the possibility to play on the primary line alongside somebody like Nick Suzuki, the workforce’s captain, or on the second unit with Cole Caufield on the opposite aspect.

He’s a primary total choose.

He misses a number of scoring possibilities – which he will get, at the least -, having notably been unable to move OR shoot early within the sport yesterday, when he was on a two on one with Nick Suzuki I feel…

I’m wondering one factor: why are followers – and journalists/columnists – so “nice” with Juraj Slafkovsky? Why can we all maintain a little bit shyness earlier than daring to criticize the play of the tall Slovak? Are we too easy-going with flowers in relation to the younger forwards of the Tricolore?

What are we going to do when he scores three targets?

Be careful! I’m not saying we should always essentially throw greater rocks at him extra typically. I’m simply considering out loud about why we get such a “nice” therapy that I additionally take part in as a columnist and sports activities author?

I’ve a number of strains of thought. Sorry for the lengthy textual content beneath; this isn’t the sort of topic that may be summed up in three paragraphs… and even worse, with a catchy headline that everybody likes to touch upon with out having learn the hooked up textual content.

1. Canadiens followers are the very best on the planet. They encourage their workforce – even when it’s going nowhere like final 12 months – they usually purchase into the Kent Hughes/Jeff Gorton reconstruction with out flinching. They aren’t afraid to help their membership and to be extra subjective than goal. In spite of everything, that’s what loving a workforce is about.

Despite the fact that many attempt to let you know that Montreal followers are too detrimental and borderline poisonous/unhealthy, that’s not the case. Have a look at different sports activities, elsewhere on the planet, and dare to check…

2. The media are removed from as detrimental and nitpicking as some folks (together with the coach himself) attempt to make you imagine. They’re typically there to relay the phrases of the coach AND to help them. Particularly since Martin St-Louis has been in workplace. He receives extra optimistic than detrimental protection, even when the workforce has misplaced extra video games than it has received. In brief, everybody across the membership is nearly all tinted with steroid-boosted positivity.

3. It appears all of us really feel obliged to overemphasize our optimistic feedback about Slafkovsky attributable to all of the detrimental (or essential, ought to I say) feedback which were addressed to him for a 12 months and a half.

Common efficiency turns into efficiency…

efficiency turns into a unprecedented efficiency…

We need to rebalance issues… convey the pendulum again the opposite manner

Nonetheless, we overlook that with solely two factors in 15 video games, the steadiness of Slaf’s efficiency remains to be within the detrimental. The glass is just not but half full, to make use of a well-liked expression.

Why do folks really feel a lot invested in a mission to steadiness public opinion? It’s particular, don’t you assume?

We didn’t have this mentality with Jonathan Drouin lately…

4. We noticed Slafkovsky get booed from his very first choose and we really feel dangerous for him. Even right now…

We thus try to not confuse the choice of Hughes, Gorton, Bobrov, and Lapointe with the (younger) individual that’s Slafkovsky.

5. We’re rational and we’re conscious that we must be affected person with a child of solely 19 years previous. The NHL has turn out to be a league the place it’s tough to succeed earlier than the age of 21 or 22. Guys are usually not all Connor Bedards…

Jack Hughes had a season of 21 factors in 61 video games earlier than changing into the participant he’s right now (20 factors in 10 video games in 2023-24).

Quinton Byfield, Alexis Lafrenière (what a goal he scored yesterday!) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi all had tough moments earlier than producing in the very best league on the planet. We possibly assume we should always have been extra affected person with McCarron KK… forgetting willingly that prime draft picks have additionally turn out to be “busts” over the previous few a long time. #Pouliot #Yakupov #And so on

Nonetheless, as we are sometimes advised by folks within the group, the NHL is just not a growth league. It’s a league of outcomes. Its athletes – in the event that they play there, moderately than being within the American League, junior or Europe – shouldn’t they be judged on their outcomes? I ask the query.

And… why don’t we’ve the identical restraint in relation to commenting on Shane Wright’s (non-) performances? As a result of folks in Montreal are usually not followers of Wright, however moderately of the Canadiens (and Slafkovsky). #Feelings #NotRational

6. All of us see Logan Cooley having success in Arizona and we strive in our personal manner to assist Juraj Slafkovsky bloom. Like we’d with a toddler, we predict that by encouraging him a lot, he’ll finally break by means of. We need to help him, not hurt him, and assist him.

All of us need to see him succeed… and all of us hope that those that ship him to Laval of their fantasies received’t be proper. If Slafkovsky is praised from all sides and he manages to lastly accumulate factors persistently, we’ll all overlook about this concept of sending him to Laval (and to the WJC). That’s what we need to occur.

However the