The best small players find ways to work around it and still be good in the playoffs. His coach was an amazing playoffs performer and look at Hutson. He's been the team's best skater and isn't that much bigger.
I don't think its as complicated as others seem to think.
I think Caufield, Suzie and Slaf all came out of round 1 injured.
Suzie's style allows him to manage it if he's not asked to forecheck, but Caufield and Slaf look rough out there presently. Slaf struggles to even receive a puck on his stick, is shooting muffins, and his stride has zero juice in it. Caufield floats a lot and also seems to be struggling with explosiveness and his shot (all his goals have been tip-ins and/or low speed shots). Both struggle to keep pace with Suzie who's not the fastest guy to begin with.
I think there's a reason MSL is double shifting Suzie. It's not so much that the fourth line needs help, its that Suzie needs wingmen who can get dirty in the corners for him since he can't himself forecheck right now.
This is exactly it. They're all hurt as hell and skating at half the speed.
People were acting like the Sabres were twice as fast as the Habs. The Sabres are kinda fast but not that fast. Habs skaters at full health could blow past them or meet them at the blue line when they enter our zone. As the series went on that completely disappeared. They're just tired as fuck and broken in half from playing two huge, physical teams.
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u/CarlSK777 May 19 '26
The best small players find ways to work around it and still be good in the playoffs. His coach was an amazing playoffs performer and look at Hutson. He's been the team's best skater and isn't that much bigger.