Canadiens HC Martin St. Louis praises $63,000,000 captain’s leadership and production as team fights for playoffs

The Montreal Canadiens won 3-1 against the Florida Panthers at Bell Centre on Saturday. The win helped them stay in the playoff race. Captain Nick Suzuki’s leadership has been key in keeping the team competitive.

Cole Caufield had a goal and an assist, scoring off a pass from Juraj Slafkovsky in the first period. Patrik Laine opened the scoring earlier on a power play after a setup from Lane Hutson. Christian Dvorak sealed the win in the third period with his 100th NHL goal. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves, including a key stop on Carter Verhaeghe’s late power-play attempt.

Nick Suzuki has been a big part of the team’s success. He has 20 goals and 49 assists in 66 games this season. He plays big minutes and helps both offensively and defensively. Coach Martin St. Louis noted Suzuki’s role in keeping the team together after the trade deadline.

(22:40) "I think he’s doing everything. He’s playing big minutes, tough matchups. He’s been very good offensively, but he’s also been very responsible defensively. I think he’s just been showing the way, and guys are following. He put his best foot forward coming off the break. It doesn’t guarantee everything he’s gotten individually and collectively, but he’s played a huge role in why we are where we are," St. Louis said.

The Canadiens committed to Suzuki long-term, signing him to an eight-year, $63 million contract in 2021. The deal carries a cap hit of $7.875 million per season and runs through 2029-30, when he will be 30 years old.

The Canadiens have been strong lately, going 7-1-2 in their last ten games. Suzuki did not score against Florida but played over 20 minutes and helped defensively. After the game, Suzuki spoke about the team’s approach.

“I loved our whole game,” Suzuki said (via NHL.com). “In the third we just stuck to the game plan, kept things simple, didn’t force anything and got rewarded with a big goal by ‘Devo’ and we were able to close it out.”

Florida had trouble creating chances throughout the game. Their only goal came in the second period when Mackie Samoskevich finished a play set up by Carter Verhaeghe. Sergei Bobrovsky made 12 saves, but Montreal’s key plays were too much to handle. After winning six straight, Florida has now lost two of their last three games.

Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis praised crowd for the support

Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said it was one of their best games since he joined in February 2022. He appreciated the fans' support in the third period and said the team gave their best effort.

“From start to finish, I think it was one of the best games we’ve played since I’ve been here,” St. Louis said, via NHL.com. “The fans spoiled us in the third period, and we wanted to give them our all.

"It was a nice experience for everyone in the building tonight. I really enjoyed the third period, the way we carried ourselves and all the atmosphere."

The Canadiens were outshot by Florida 22-15 and were no match in faceoffs with 44.6% chances but capitalized on PP chances for the win.