ELMONT, N.Y. — It took 81 games for Nick Suzuki to break a 40-year drought and become the first Montreal Canadien to record 100 points in a season since Mats Naslund, and it’s possible no one truly saw it coming but Suzuki himself.
You could tell he’d be good long before he was drafted 13th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, but few would’ve predicted he’d be this good. It was unforeseeable when he arrived in Montreal—in the 2018 trade that sent Max Pacioretty to Sin City—that he’d become one of five players in Canadiens history to hit this milestone. And even if it was easier to imagine when Suzuki broke out with 89 points last season, it still felt like a fantasy he’d ever breach 100.
“When you’re a little kid, you think of doing things like this,” said Suzuki, “and it’s definitely special.”
It certainly was when Guy Lafleur and Peter Mahovlich became the first Canadiens to do it in the 1974-75 season.
They combined to repeat the feat six more times (Lafleur on five other occasions and Mahovlich just once) through the end of the 70s, with Steve Shutt also hitting the club in 1976-77.
Then came Naslund in 1985-86, notching 110 points for a team that went on to win the Stanley Cup.
The Canadiens have been searching for a player as prolific ever since.
Vincent Damphousse teased with 97 points over his first 84 games with the Canadiens in 1993-94.
Then Pierre Turgeon became the first Canadiens captain to hit 96 in a season just two years later.
He was at the Bell Centre Saturday when Suzuki notched his 99th point, and he told Sportsnet before it came that he was astounded by the progress he’s seen from the player since he arrived in Montreal.
“I love him,” Turgeon said. “He’s got the hockey sense, he plays so well defensively, and he’s just got it all. And what I like is that when the game is on the line, there’s guys that can stand up and make the difference, and he’s definitely the guy that can do it. Some guys have a harder time doing that, but he always finds a way to step up and make the big assist, win the key battle, or score the big goal.”
Suzuki’s 29th of the season broke a 0-0 tie in the 16th minute of the second period of Sunday’s Canadiens-New York Islanders game at UBS Arena.
His 72nd assist came just 28 seconds later, making this his 29th multipoint performance of the season.
“I take a lot of pride in just playing the right way and not really worrying about points,” Suzuki said.
The player who set him up with his 100th in the 4-1 win that ended the Islanders’ playoff push said that’s exactly why Suzuki was able to do this.
“He’s always playing for the team,” said Juraj Slafkovsky, “and when you do that, you get rewarded, and the game gives back to you.”
It’s rewarded Suzuki in the way he thought it might, as both he and the Canadiens were making their ascent.
“I think as we kept building this team and the talent that we were acquiring and the chemistry that we were building, definitely saw a lot of potential in that,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun playing with these guys.”
Slafkovsky, who now has 30 goals and 43 assists in just his fourth NHL season, is one of those guys.
Cole Caufield, who became the first Canadien to score 50 goals since Stephane Richer did it in 1989-90, is another.
And then there’s Lane Hutson, who recorded his 65th and 66th assists Sunday to tie Larry Robinson for the most among Canadiens defencemen in a single season.
“We’ve got a really special group, with a lot of special players,” Suzuki said. “Seems like there’s some type of record all the time with this team. It’s really crazy. But it comes with a lot of work behind the scenes and a lot of dedication through the summers and through the seasons. We’re a hungry group, and we continue to get better, which is an awesome thought to have.”
Another is that he is the driving force behind it all of it, and he’s just one year into the prime of his career.
Whether you’re Slafkovsky, Caufield, Hutson, or David Reinbacher, who registered his first NHL point in his league debut Sunday, that’s a comforting feeling.
“He’s a true leader,” said Reinbacher of his captain. “He’s the head of this group, and he just brings a high (level) of calmness.”
It’s enabled Suzuki to dominate the toughest matchups night in, night out, making him the fifth-highest scorer in the NHL and the leading candidate for this year’s Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward.
“I remember (Sergei) Federov winning the Selke, and he was an offensive player too,” said Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis. “I think it takes an honest game, and that’s what Suzy brings.”
He brings a consistent one, too, partly because he’s always available to play.
Suzuki hasn’t missed a game since stepping into the league 536 games ago, and what he’s done over his last 81 has added another dimension of reliability.
He’s only been held off the scoresheet in 18 of those games, and he’s only had two sequences of consecutive games without a point.
“He should be proud,” said Turgeon. “He’s fun to watch, and it’s fun to see what’s he’s been doing.”
Not many would’ve predicted Suzuki would be doing it, no matter how many points he scored in the Ontario Hockey League before debuting with the Canadiens in 2019.
The progression has been linear ever since, with 41 points notched through those first 71 games, followed by 41 in 56 the following year.
Suzuki then put up seasons of 61, 66, 77 and 89 before hitting and passing 100, and he’s got one more game to get to 102 and beyond.
And though Suzuki has done it all with great humility, he’s always envisioned himself accomplishing the kind of great things so few have accomplished before him.
“Those guys are just legends of the game, and this organization’s been around for so long and had so many great players that I’m kind of shocked it’s only that many guys that did that,” Suzuki said of joining the Canadiens’ 100-point club. “It’s special for me to be a part of it.”
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