With fresh buzz cut, Slafkovsky boosts Canadiens’ first line to another level

MONTREAL — Juraj Slafkovsky arrived at the Bell Centre with a new look Saturday night.

Based on his performance, he might want to keep it.

Sporting a fresh buzz cut, the Canadiens winger scored twice, added two assists and brought a physical edge as Montreal crushed the New York Islanders 7-3 in a heated, playoff-like affair.

“Until the end of the season it’s going to stay like this, for sure,” Slafkovsky said of the haircut, grinning. “Then we’ll see.”

Slafkovsky opened the scoring 4:10 into the first period, hammering a one-timer from the slot top shelf on the power play for his 14th with the man advantage this season. He added his second at 8:08 of the third period to put Montreal ahead 5-3, prompting a chorus of “Olé, Olé” chants.

The six-foot-three, 225-pound forward from Slovakia also had four shots on goal, one hit and one blocked shot in 17:14 of ice time, while inserting himself into the middle of several post-whistle scrums.

“He did everything tonight,” coach Martin St. Louis said. “He was physical, he won puck battles, he made plays, he went to scrums — he checked all the boxes, and that’s what you need from a player like that.”

Slafkovsky now has 27 goals and 34 assists this season, surpassing his previous career high by 10 points with 13 games remaining as the Canadiens (38-21-10, third in the Atlantic Division) push to lock up a playoff spot.

The 21-year-old’s progression hasn’t always been linear since Montreal made him the first overall pick in 2022. He struggled as a rookie, posting just 10 points in 39 games as some wondered if he should be sent to the minors.

Concerns he might become a so-called “bust” lingered into his sophomore season following a slow start. But after a steady rise in each of the past three seasons, those fears are long gone.

“He has all the skills to do everything,” St. Louis said. “When he puts it all together and the game slows down for him offensively, he’s able to execute in space. It’s another great year for him, a progression. And it’s fun to see him play like that.”

Slafkovsky wasn’t the only Canadien to fill the scoresheet. Cole Caufield had a hat trick in a five-point night, while Nick Suzuki provided four assists on a dominant, 13-point evening from Montreal’s top line.

But Slafkovsky has helped push the talented trio to another level since reuniting with Caufield and Suzuki on March 6 after spending months as the go-to option on a second line with rookies Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen.

“(St. Louis) wanted to switch some stuff up and give Slaf an opportunity to be a leader on his line,” said Suzuki, who became the sixth forward in franchise history to reach 60 assists in a season. “That’s helped now that he’s come back. He’s holding onto the puck more, making the right plays, and that’s what all three of us want, to go out there, make the right plays for each other and get open.

“We know we can be a dangerous line, no matter who we’re playing.”

Caufield added that Slafkovsky’s growth was on full display Saturday. The haircut didn’t hurt.

“He gained a lot of confidence driving his own pace,” he said. “When he comes back with that confidence, he’s the type of player we expect him to be every night. You see it tonight, how he can be shift after shift, and it’s probably pretty annoying to play against.

“That’s the special talent we have in that guy, and he might be better with less hair.”

CHASING 50

Caufield is already the first Canadien to break the 40-goal plateau since 1993-94. Now he’s within reach of being the first Hab to score 50 since 1989-90.

The 25-year-old American is up to 43 goals in 68 games after his hat trick, placing him just two goals behind Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead.

“Everyone who’s going to be on the ice with him, we’re all going to try to help him to get to that for sure,” Slafkovsky said.

GOOD GAME GUHLE

Not to be outdone, defenceman Kaiden Guhle had one goal and two assists to go with a game-high plus-3 and three hits, a strong showing amid a tough stretch for the typically reliable 24-year-old blueliner.

“A bit like Slaf, he really played to his identity,” St. Louis said. “He’s able to kill plays and be physical, and be there when we need him on that side. He was able to show the best version of himself tonight.”

BONSOIR, RODGER

The Canadiens held a tribute for beloved broadcaster Rodger Brulotte after he died Friday at 79, displaying a touching video montage on the big screen.

Known for his signature home-run call “Bonsoir, elle est partie!” — or “Good evening, it’s gone!” — Brulotte was a voice of baseball in Quebec, calling Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays games on radio and television over the years.

A larger-than-life figure in the province, Brulotte also worked for the Expos beginning in the team’s inaugural 1969 season and later helped create “Youppi!” — now the mascot of the Canadiens.

The words “Bonsoir, il est partie,” projected on the ice while “Youppi!” wore an Expos jersey and held a photograph of himself with Brulotte near the benches before puck drop Saturday.

“It’s sad news, and honestly, I’m a little surprised because I had just seen him this summer on the golf course,” Islanders head coach Patrick Roy told reporters Saturday morning.

“We all listened to the Expos, and we always listened to him and (play-by-play announcer Jacques) Doucet. They were people who definitely played a role in our society.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2026.