Bad news strikes the Canadiens just before their final game against Buffalo
Juraj Slafkovsky has Martin St-Louis facing a major call before Montreal's final game in Buffalo.
The Canadiens head into Monday night under real pressure after Sunday's 8-3 loss at the Bell Centre, and the mood around the club has clearly shifted.
That defeat didn't just sting on the scoreboard.
It left frustration all over the bench, and several Montreal players looked shaken after the game.
Now the focus is squarely on Slafkovsky.
The young winger has become a major talking point at the worst time for the Canadiens.
Maxim Lapierre added fuel to that discussion on TVA Sports when he said Slafkovsky appears to have been playing through an injury for several games.
That comment landed hard because Slafkovsky's game has looked off, and the timing couldn't be worse with Montreal heading into a season-defining matchup.
Montreal's top line suddenly has a problem with Slafkovsky
Lapierre's read is simple: Slafkovsky no longer looks like the same force Montreal saw earlier in the postseason against Tampa Bay.
His execution has slowed, and his usual physical edge hasn't shown up with the same push in this series against Buffalo.
That matters because Slafkovsky does a lot of the heavy work on Montreal's top line.
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He wins pucks, protects possession, and opens space for Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
When that part of his game drops, the whole line feels it. And lately, Montreal's top unit hasn't created the same danger at even strength.
There's also a clear concern about wear and tear. Recent hard contact involving Brandon Hagel and Max Crozier appears to have left a mark on Slafkovsky's game.
That puts Martin St-Louis in a difficult spot.
He can stay with Slafkovsky and trust the winger to push through, or he can shuffle his lines and try to spark the attack.
Either move comes with risk. Leave things untouched and Montreal may get a limited version of one of its most important forwards.
Change the mix now, and the Canadiens could disrupt their best offensive chemistry right before puck drop.
That's why this story matters so much. Slafkovsky isn't just another player to watch Monday night. He may be the one who decides how far Montreal can still go.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 16, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Rasmus Dahlin | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Tage Thompson | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Jack Quinn | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Zach Benson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jake Evans | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jason Zucker | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Ivan Demidov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Konsta Helenius | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Zach Metsa | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Arber Xhekaj | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Bowen Byram | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Cole Caufield | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Lane Hutson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Michael Matheson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ryan McLeod | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Norris | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mattias Samuelsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||