He's called 'The Flower' (the English translation of his French name), and Guy Lafleur has blossomed into the finest player in the National Hockey League. He won his third straight league scoring title in 1977-78 while leading the Montreal Canadiens to their third consecutive Stanley Cup championship. He also copped his second consecutive Hart Trophy as Most Valuable Player.

But few hockey observers were surprised by the emergence of Guy Lafleur as a star. The surprising part was that it took so long. Lafleur had come out of junior hockey in 1971 as the heir- apparent to the great Jean Beliveau, another French-Canadian who had starred for the Habs. The fact that Lafleur played center only increased the pressure on the shy youngster. And for his first three years, he struggled, scoring only 29, 28 and 21 goals.

But as the 74-75 season got underway, Lafleur was moved to right wing and really hit his stride. He was placed on a line with center Peter Mahovlich and left wing Steve Shutt, and all three enjoyed their finest seasons to that point. Lafleur finished with 53 goals and 119 points, and the scoring machine was in full gear. The only change in that unit came in 1976-77, when Mahovlich began having problems. So Jacques Lemaire was switched into the center position, and Lafleur continued to rack up points.

The slight winger is is more than just a scorer of goals. He has a hard, accurate shot, but his brilliance is in the fact that, in the words of New York Islander coach Al Arbour, 'He's the first hockey player I've ever seen who can do everything, and I mean everything, at top speed.' He can stickhandle, deke and cut without slowing. Many teams have assigned players to do nothing but defend against Lafleur, even while the other team has the. puck.

Lafleur was assigned a difficult job as successor to Beliveau and upholder of the Canadiens' long tradition of being led by a French-Canadian star; after a rocky start, Guy Lafleur has indeed proven himself worthy, both to the fans and to hockey observers all over the world.

GUY LAFLEUR Born Sept. 20, 1951, in Thurso, Que. CAN

Photo: Lafleur's shot is the scourge of goaltenders throughout the NHL