Juraj Slafkovsky's Surprising Take on Ivan Demidov's NHL Rise After Viral Overtime Moment
After the Montreal Canadiens' last-minute victory over the Calgary Flames, a brilliant overtime play by Ivan Demidov went viral online.
But beyond the goal itself, it was Juraj Slafkovsky's comment that really caught everyone's attention.
In his opinion, Demidov is adapting to the NHL much faster than he did himself.
The 19-year-old Russian forward delivered another magical moment Wednesday night in Calgary. It's wild! Hard to believe Demidov is only playing his 10th regular season game...
He patiently drew two defenders toward him before spotting Mike Matheson, wide open on the other side, for the winning goal.
"WHAT A SETUP BY DEMIDOV" - NHL Status
"Obviously, (Demidov has) got great feet, he's got great deception, quick hands," said Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis,
"But he's got a quick mind, too, so he can execute fast what he sees, and we saw that multiple times tonight." - Martin St-Louis
"But he's got a quick mind, too, so he can execute fast what he sees, and we saw that multiple times tonight." - Martin St-Louis
That's what Martin St-Louis said after the game, quoted in an article from Sportsnet.
Juraj Slafkovsky impressed by Ivan Demidov's quick adaptation
For Slafkovsky, who himself went through an adjustment period when he arrived in Montreal after being drafted first overall, the observation is clear... he thinks Demidov is progressing at an insane pace.
"He's doing it way faster than I did it," said Juraj Slafkovsky
You can tell he's genuinely impressed by his teammate's confidence and creativity.
And he's not wrong. In just 15 NHL games (including playoffs and regular season), Demidov already looks comfortable on the smaller North American ice.
His vision, patience, and precision make him such a dangerous player.
Even captain Nick Suzuki has noticed the young player's maturity:
"Demi's starting to make elite plays all the time, and he's learning his way through the NHL."
- Nick Suzuki
- Nick Suzuki
In my opinion, I think we've only seen a glimpse of his true potential.
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