YOUNG PLAYERS GROW INTO STARS IN THE PLAYOFFS
Some of hockey’s most talented youngsters are coming up big as the going gets tough
What was Nick Suzuki thinking? Was he thinking?
The video evidence suggests he wasn’t.
How else to explain the act of bravado — or was it recklessness? — that saw him willingly almost take a puck off the head in the Montreal Canadiens’ 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. The Canadiens were down a goal midway through the second period of Game 1, when goalie Carey Price slid out from the front of the net to challenge a two-on-one opportunity.
As the puck went back to the slot, Suzuki found himself caught in no man’s land in the middle of the crease.
From there, the rookie forward had two options: lie on his stomach and shield his face with his hands and hope that the shot missed him. Or he could pretend he was a goalie.
Suzuki went with the latter. He made himself big. He tried to block the shot. A slap shot, from about five feet away.
Philadelphia’s Scott Laughton wound up and got everything on a slapper that seemed destined for the side of Suzuki’s skull. If you watched close enough, you could see Suzuki’s 21-year-old life flash before his eyes as the puck ricocheted off the flattened blade of Price’s goalie stick in what might have been the best save of these playoffs — if not the history of the NHL.
“Carey did an unbelievable job there of saving that,” said Suzuki. “Saving my head, for sure.”
Crisis averted. Life intact.
And for Suzuki, reputation cemented.
A day later, despite the loss, the hockey world was still talking about the save and how Suzuki, who later hit a crossbar in the final seconds of the third period that would have tied the game, was developing into a No. 1 centre during these playoffs. They were talking about how, in two short weeks, he’s grown more than he did all season. And because of this, they were talking about his — and the Habs’ — long-term potential.
This is why no Canadiens fan should be upset that their team missed out on a chance at drafting Alexis Lafreniere. And this is why every Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers fan should be upset that their team failed to qualify.
The playoffs are where the unlikely happens. Stories emerge. Players emerge. Teams emerge.
If you didn’t know about Suzuki before, you do now. The same goes for Calgary rookie Dillon Dube, who became the Game 1 star after scoring twice in a 3-2 win over Dallas.
And while every hockey fan knew that Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes were immensely skilled, until now, we didn’t know they were this tough, this resilient, this playoff ready until they toppled the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues 5-2 in Game 1 on Wednesday.
The latter, among other things, are still being questioned in places like Toronto and Edmonton.
That’s the worst part about the Maple Leafs and Oilers failing to win a round this year. It’s not that they won’t get a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. It’s that their relatively young rosters won’t get a chance to grow.
After all, last week’s qualifiers didn’t really count. They weren’t technically the playoffs. And yet, they still mattered — especially for the teams that won a round.
Don’t tell me that Montreal didn’t take a huge step forward in its rebuild with the win over Pittsburgh that saw Suzuki and 20-year-old Jesperi Kotkaniemi combine for three goals. Watching Vancouver go toe-to-toe with the Blues was like watching the Chicago Blackhawks in their first playoffs.
We’re seeing a different Calgary team this year than we saw a year ago, when the Flames looked too soft in a five-game upset loss to the Avalanche. We’re seeing Matthew Tkachuk drop his gloves not once — but twice. We’re seeing Dube show off his wheels.
We’re seeing growth. Development. Maturity.
We’re not seeing that in Toronto or Edmonton, because both teams are not here. Their players aren’t taking steps, they’re not being pushed, they’re not growing. Their development is being stunted.
Columbus’ Pierre-luc Dubois, who was part of a five overtime loss to Tampa Bay, looks every bit as dominant as any other centre in the league.
Chicago’s Dominik Kubalik, who has three goals and six points, looks like he could be the second coming of Artemi Panarin.
General managers often talk about how it’s so important to get into the playoffs because anything can happen. Usually, they’re talking about how an eighth-seeded team can surprise everyone and win the Stanley Cup. But it applies just the same to the players.
Who knew Suzuki was capable of this? Who knew that Quinn Hughes, who is five-foot-10 and 170 pounds, was physically and mentally strong enough to essentially shrug off whatever St. Louis Blues veteran David Perron was doing to try and knock the kid off his game.
Win or lose, these players now realize there’s a difference between regular-season hockey and playoff hockey. You don’t try to block shots with your face in the regular season. You’re not targeted with cross-checks and slashes and gloved punches to the face in the regular season. You are in the playoffs.
And for those lucky enough to be playing in these playoffs, great things await.
Win or lose, these players now realize there’s a difference between regular season hockey and playoff hockey. You don’t try to block shots with your face in the regular season.