Nick Suzuki silences selfish talk after late dagger vs. Tampa Bay
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Daniel Lucente
Apr 1, 2026 (12:10)
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Photo credit: © James Guillory-Imagn Images
Nick Suzuki gave Martin St-Louis the right late-game answer in Tampa: shoot it, seal it, and leave the selfish talk on the bench.
Suzuki addressed it right after Montreal's 4-1 win over Tampa Bay, and the clip below quickly made the rounds:
This is where the noise drifts from the actual play. Suzuki wasn't padding stats. He jumped on a turnover, looked up, and saw nothing but open ice.
He said it clearly: straight lane, no need to force a pass, no reason to risk a broken play. That's a captain managing the moment, not chasing a highlight.
Yes, Cole Caufield was open. And yes, the bench probably sees that pass in real time.
But the Canadiens are playing for points, not optics. They now sit at 43-21-10 with 96 points, and that goal slammed the door.
Why St-Louis will back this every time
Martin St-Louis leans on Suzuki in these exact situations, and the usage backs it. Suzuki drives the top line and still delivers 92 points in 74 games.
That empty-net read fits his role. No delay, no extra handle, no second chance for Tampa to recover.
Caufield's season isn't defined by one missed touch. He's at 47 goals and 81 points in 73 games, locked into Montreal's scoring core.
And inside the room, there's no friction here. Suzuki even said he'd make it up to Caufield, which sounded like bench chatter, not tension.
"Yeah, I mean, I, when I turned it over, I saw he was like behind me, and yeah, when I picked my head up, I just had a straight shot, and I didn't really wanna mess around with it too much, but I'll make it up to him."
- Nick Suzuki
- Nick Suzuki
With the puck on his stick and the game there to finish, Suzuki didn't gamble.
He closed it.
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| POLL | ||
AVRIL 1|100 ANSWERS Nick Suzuki silences selfish talk after late dagger vs. Tampa Bay Did Nick Suzuki make the right play by ignoring Cole Caufield on the empty net? | ||
| Yes | 75 | 75 % |
| No | 25 | 25 % |
| List of polls | ||