ELMONT, N.Y. — Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki became the fifth player in franchise history and the first in 40 years to reach 100 points in a season Sunday when he scored his 29th goal of the season against the New York Islanders.
Suzuki reached the milestone at 15:56 of the second period when he converted a feed from linemate Juraj Slafkovský and tapped it into an empty net. He added his 101st point of the season 28 seconds later when he set up rookie Ivan Demidov’s 19th goal of the season.
“I take a lot of pride in just playing the game the right way and not really trying to worry about points,” Suzuki said after the game.” I think as we kept building this team, the talent that we were acquiring and the chemistry that we were building, I think I definitely saw a lot of potential in that. Thanks to a lot of the guys on the team for just working hard and getting in good spots for me. It’s a lot of fun playing with these guys.”
It came two games after Suzuki set up Cole Caufield for his 50th goal of the season, the first time in 36 years a Canadiens player had reached that milestone. And it came in the same game sophomore defenceman Lane Hutson matched the franchise record for assists but a defenceman with his 65th and 66th of the season, matching Larry Robinson’s mark from the 1976-77 Canadiens, a team that lost eight games all season.
“I don’t necessarily care about numbers all that much,” Hutson said. “But it’s such a storied franchise, so it’s definitely pretty cool. I’m put in such a great spot with the guys I play with, coaches, all that stuff.”
In the past three games, the Canadiens have had Caufield’s 50th goal, Slafkovský’s 30th goal, Suzuki’s 100th point, Hutson’s 66th assist and Demidov’s 19th goal, leaving him one short of another milestone with one game remaining.
“We’ve got a really special group with a lot of special players,” Suzuki said. “It seems like there’s some type of record all the time with this team.”
Before Suzuki, the only Canadiens players to reach 100 points were Guy Lafleur (six times), Peter Mahovlich (twice), Steve Shutt and Mats Näslund, who was the last to do it when he had 110 points in 1985-86.
Nick Suzuki has improved his points total in each of his seven NHL seasons. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
It is difficult to know just where Suzuki will stop in his career, as he has increased his points per game rate in each of his seven NHL seasons, over which time he has never missed a game. Over the last four seasons alone, Suzuki has gone from 66 points to 77 to 89 and now to 101 and counting.
He has not gone more than two games all season without registering a point, and that has only happened twice, with one of those times being the last game before the Olympic break and the first game back, which shouldn’t even count considering they came weeks apart.
And not only is Suzuki producing, his defensive game has him in the running for his first Selke Trophy this season.
“I think he’s playing a 200-foot game,” coach Martin St. Louis said. “I remember (Sergei) Fedorov winning the Selke and he was an offensive player in this league too. I think it takes an honest game, and I think that’s what Suzy brings.”
Last season, Suzuki became the first Canadiens player to register a point per game since Alex Kovalev had 84 points in 82 games in 2007-08. That had long been a source of frustration in the Canadiens market, especially being unable to provide offensive support over the course of goaltender Carey Price’s career.
Now, a new bar has been reached for the first time in four decades.
“I kind of know the history for point-per-game players,” Suzuki said Thursday after Caufield scored his 50th goal. “With the way this team’s going, I think we’re going to have a few of those. It’s fun to be a part of and to just continue to get better with these guys will be fun.”
