Slafkovsky has impressive prospects debut for Canadiens in loss to Sabres

BUFFALO --Juraj Slafkovsky has one purpose as a member of the Montreal Canadiens at the Prospects Challenge this week.

"I want to dominate," the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft said.
In a 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres prospects on Thursday in the opener of the six-team tournament at LECOM Harborcenter, the 18-year-old left wing provided a glimpse of his promising future in his first competitive game since the 2022 IIHF World Championship in May, when he had nine points (three goals, six assists) for Slovakia. He played well in all situations, receiving time on the power play, penalty kill and at even strength.
Slafkovsky was named second star of the game.
"I felt like my pace was pretty high for the first game and it will be only higher and higher, so I'm looking forward [to] that," Slafkovsky said. "I tried sometimes to push a little more than I should, but I just like to win and I tried to do whatever it takes. I know a couple mistakes were made, but I'll take the good things from this game and try to bring it to the next game."
Slafkovsky made a great play to get an assist, his only point of the game, on a shorthanded goal by fellow Slovakia-born forward Filip Mesar (No. 26, 2022 draft) at 10:38 of the first period. After chasing a loose puck in the Sabres end in the right corner, Slafkovsky made a nice pass to Mesar in the left circle for a 2-0 lead.
"I just tried to get on the puck first," Slafkovsky said. "I know that when I go, someone is behind me, so I just put my head up and I saw [Mesar] and just fed him a little bit."

Slafkovsky (6-foot-3, 218 pounds) took six shifts in the first period, skated hard and was physical along the boards and in the slot in search of deflections. He never relented in his desire to push the pace even after getting pushed and shadowed throughout by Buffalo defenseman Zach Berzolla (6-2, 200; undrafted).
"He's a big, strong player so that's going to be part of his game," said Jean-Francois Houle, coach of the Canadiens' American Hockey League affiliate in Laval. "I'm sure he's going to be asked to do that ... he's going to be asked to go to the net, in front of the net, get to the dirty areas. That's where he's going to learn all that.
"It's going to be hard for opponents to control a guy like that and it's a good thing he's on our side."
Slafkovsky played on the top line with center Riley Kidney (No. 63, 2021 NHL Draft) and Mesar. When Montreal gained possession of the puck on the power play, he skated to the slot and was effective in providing screens and battling for rebounds.
"I like to play everywhere on the power play, in front of the net, on the side or in the middle," he said. "I have a big body so I think I can screen pretty well, but I can do it better [than I did tonight]."
He also had some teachable moments as well, turning the puck over on an attempted back pass to his defenseman at the blue line that led to a shorthanded goal by Sabres forward Tyson Kozak, his second of the game, at 5:47 of the third period.
Sabres prospect coach Seth Appert was impressed.
"Slafkovsky was as advertised," Appert said. "I saw him practice and I was like, 'My gosh, he's massive.' He has a presence about him. He's got the square jaw, he looks like a man. And then, I think most players in a rookie tournament on that hit in the third period would have gotten blown up. Berzolla, that's a good hit, it was clean, but it was good, it was heavy, and he didn't even move. I thought he was fantastic and he looked like a No. 1 overall pick."
Slafkovsky, who arrived in Montreal and has been training there since Aug. 15, was on the ice for the final two minutes of the third period when the Canadiens sought the tying goal.
"I wouldn't say I was tired because when there's three minutes left you don't really feel tired," he said. "You just want to score and do whatever it takes. You don't even care about time and just focus and do what the coach says, and that's what I try to do."
Photos: Buffalo Sabres / Sara Schmidle