The Montreal Canadiens are clearly one of the most exciting teams in the NHL, due to the fact that they are the youngest organization in the league.
And while they currently hold a 2-1 lead in their second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres, there is one particular number that has remained consistent.
Canadiens Star Players at 5v5
10 playoff games in, some of their most electric point producers have yet to find the back of the net at 5v5.
Juraj Slafkowski, who set a new career high with 73 points in 82 games in the regular season, has no points.
Cole Caufield, who finished second in goal scoring with 51 goals in the regular season, did not have any points.
Calder Trophy finalist Ivan Demidov has no points.
This is the type of situation that will sink most teams, especially teams like the Habs who rely on the first line.
However, thanks to key contributions from Zachary Bolduc, Alex Texier and Kirby Dach, among others, the Canadiens are not only moving forward, but they have offered back-to-back dominant performances against the Sabres.
Of course, sticking to 5v5 ignores their powerplay production, with both Caufield and Slafkowski scoring significant powerplay goals in Game 3, which is an indicator that they can eventually take turns at equal strength.
As head coach Martin Saint-Louis explained on Tuesday, powerplay touches can go a long way in restoring a player's confidence once the man advantage is gone. He was talking about Dach in this particular case, but the logic also applies to Slafkovsky, Demidov, and Caufield.
Hear the team's pregame comments ahead of tonight's Game 4 against Buffalo
Tune in now for live pregame media ops ahead of tonight's Game 4 against the Sabers #GoHabsGo https://t.co/GnwYezrnbJ
- X - Canadiens Montreal (@CanadiensMTL) 12 May 2026
depth value
Here's how 5v5 production breaks down across the lineup. Zachary Bolduc leads the way with two goals and four assists, including Newhook, Dach and Texier.
If I had told you heading into the playoffs that the three players in question would go scoreless for 10 games at 5v5, you probably would have asked me how they could possibly avoid being eliminated in the first round.
And the answer is that the Habs have somehow managed to produce a hero every night, one who is not among the highest-paid players in the lineup, and one who does not enjoy playing on the first line.
In other words, the depth players have responded well beyond expectations given the circumstances.
All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5 via Natural Stat Trick.
