Canadiens Caufield Hits Milestone in Capitals Slaughter

The Montreal Canadiens arrived in Washington for their last game of the year, a spirited matchup against the surging Capitals.

In recent games, the Canadiens have been blown out of the water with little to no resistance, leaving the Saturday-night matchup as their final opportunity of the year to show a little fight.

The Canadiens lost 9-2 to the Capitals, yet another shambolic game for Martin St-Louis’ young club, but they did manage to provide Habs fans with a decent level of entertainment thanks to a pair of goals from a familiar source.

Okay.

They provided a little more entertainment than usual. Final offer.

Jake Allen allowed many questionable goals, though it should be noted he looked very uncomfortable throughout the night and had difficulties making lateral transitions, a recipe for disaster against a high-flying team like the Capitals.

Cauzuki

The Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield combination had struggled lately, at least relative to their standards.

Going into the game against the Capitals, Suzuki hadn’t registered a single point in his last five games, whereas Caufield had only found the back of the net once.

They solved both issues early in the second period, scoring a power play goal (yes you read that correctly) that would pull Montreal within one goal of Washington.

As per usual, Suzuki drew all the attention from the right side of the ice thanks to an excellent fake that opened up a passing lane, and then quickly landed the puck on Caufield’s blade. Caufield made no mistake, burying his 20th goal of the season and joining an exclusive club of Canadiens players in the process.

Cole Caufield’s 20th goal of the season pic.twitter.com/H0lGilerU8

— Habs Fan TV (@habsfantv_) December 31, 2022

Double Trouble

Caufield wasn’t done with just one goal. He scored his second goal in what can only be described as a chaotic second period.

The goal was the product of excellent positioning and anticipation in the neutral zone, allowing Caufield plenty of space and time to pick his spot and score an important 5-hole goal.

With the goal, Caufield closed out the first half of the 2022-23 season with a 47-goal pro-rated scoring pace.

Cole Caufield 21st goal of the season pic.twitter.com/avq1bEmIcn

— Habs Fan TV (@habsfantv_) December 31, 2022

The Canadiens are back in action on Jan.3, facing the Nashville Predators on the road. The puck drop is scheduled 8 PM ET.