After a difficult Super Bowl weekend with two losses in two days, Tuesday's win against the Ducks did the Canadiens a lot of good.

Not just for players. The coaching staff also went home with a sense of accomplishment after seeing the team dominate in all facets of the game. Whether Martin St-Louis himself, Alex Burrows, responsible for the numerical advantage, Stéphane Robidas, responsible for the defenders, whether assistant Trevor Letowski or goalkeeping coach Éric Raymond, all specialists take their work to heart and are proud and personally satisfied with their performance the players in the aspects they look after.

The way CH won, everyone can say “mission accomplished” and pat themselves on the back. The team was committed from start to finish, played well in the five-on-five system, the power play was threatening again, as it has been for some time, and the players used on the penalty kill did an excellent job.

The opponent's placement in the rankings doesn't matter to me. The Habs were able to take advantage of the fact that the Ducks were struggling to have a perfect night, much to everyone's delight.

It's good for squad morale not to be involved in another close game where every decision has a direct impact on the outcome. It's always nice not to have to play on tiptoes, it takes away the tension.

Full throttle!

Even though the season is difficult, we must focus on the positive measures that will allow the club to move forward. I am particularly impressed by the first trio. We feel like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky have great chemistry and enjoy playing together. This can be seen in the way they give their best in five-on-five games and in their numerical superiority.

What is also encouraging for the future is that they are all young and will only improve as the years go by. Of the three, Slafkovsky shows the most progress. He proves why he was the number one pick in the 2022 draft.

Last season was a learning year for him. He was heavier and slower and was often hit hard. If he got injured, it was because he wasn't as alert on the ice as he was today.

This year he is in better physical condition, more agile on his skates and also solid in his duels. He is now a National League caliber forward.

Show with an example

The most important thing for Slafkovsky's further development is maintaining his exemplary attitude. He often works extra time after training and is rewarded for his efforts.

Such behavior is evidence of leadership skills. Even though he is young, it rubs off on the rest of the group. If he continues like this, all other players will have no choice but to join in too.

Far be it from me to compare Slafkovsky to Sidney Crosby, but it is thanks to a similar attitude that “Sid” quickly became the leader of the Penguins. When I was his coach in Pittsburgh and we had Sundays off, I would definitely see him at the arena when I stopped by my office. I kept telling him how important it was to rest, but he always replied, “Tiger Woods never takes a day off.” That was his mentality. This had a snowball effect on the rest of the team.

The Canadiens' young players are beautiful to watch. If they keep this same philosophy, they will continue to improve.

I can't wait to see them perform at Madison Square Garden tonight. It promises to be more difficult than against the Ducks as the Rangers are on fire, having won their last five games and sitting at the top of the Metropolitan group. The Canadiens must view this clash as another challenge to take on in a season where every step forward counts for the future.