Montreal Canadiens forward urges the team to play their perfect game (Source: Imagn)
Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky was left frustrated after their Game 2 playoff loss to the Washington Capitals. The game took place in front of Capitals fans at Capital One Arena on Wednesday. Speaking to the media postgame, Slafkovsky said the team keeps finding different excuses after every game.
“There’s always something lacking,” Slafkovsky said. We always talk about, ‘Oh today was this, tomorrow it’s something else.’ We just can’t have that. We got to have almost a perfect game to win.”
(from 4:16 mark onwards)
After their 3-1 loss, the Canadiens are now down 2-0 in the series.
When asked if there was anything positive from the first two games, Slafkovsky said they can build on some parts of their play. But he also made it clear that everyone must be better.
“Yeah, we can build off that definitely,” Slafkovsky said. “But everyone in here got to be better. Starts with me and then everyone else. We got to show a different type of energy, different type of game on Friday at home.”
(from 3:14 mark onwards)
Juraj Slafkovsky, who signed with the Montreal Canadiens on an eight-year, $60.8 million contract, is averaging nearly 21 minutes of ice time per game. But so far, he has failed to contribute offensively and has zero points.
In Game 1, Montreal made a comeback in the third period but lost in overtime. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki scored to tie the game late. Alex Ovechkin scored the game-winner in overtime for Washington, while Lane Hutson had two assists in his playoff debut. Furthermore, Sam Montembeault made 29 saves for the Canadiens.
Game 2 was even more disappointing for Slafkovsky and Co., with Montreal starting strong with a goal from Christian Dvorak, but they could not respond to back-to-back goals in the second and third periods from the Caps. The team had chances but couldn’t finish them.
Montreal Canadiens coach talks about both losses
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis also said there were good moments in both games, but admitted there’s a need for better play to avoid mistakes.
“These were two games where you can’t buy that experience for our players,” St. Louis said via NHL.com. “We battled, there were moments that hurt us, they cost us the game. But the team doesn’t give up, we had a lot of chances in the third to maybe repeat what happened Monday and go to overtime.”
Expectations will be high for the young forward and the team in Game 3 on Friday in front of the Canadiens’ home crowd at Bell Centre.