Connect with us

Canadiens Postgame

Canadiens Instant Recap: Red Hot Caufield Keeps Scoring Goals

Published

1 year ago

on

By

montreal canadiens cole caufield

The Montreal Canadiens travelled to Philadelphia On Sunday night, facing the Flyers in the second leg of back-to-back weekend games for Martin St-Louis’ team.

Say what you will about Philadelphia’s struggles, but it was a fantastic effort from the Canadiens that led to the 4-3 win. Cayden Primeau played well for the majority of the game, but he faltered down the stretch, making the scoreline a little more flattering toward the Flyers than they truly deserved.

There’s a lot to discuss, including how Cole Caufield can’t seem to stop scoring, so let’s dive into those highlights!

Before we get going, if you’d like to see the view from the other side of the rink, make sure to visit our sister site, Philly Hockey Now.

Leading By Example

There was a surprising amount of criticism sent Nick Suzuki’s way since the start of the year, making his 10 points* in the first nine games of the season a cathartic situation for the team’s captain.

While it’s true the top line didn’t exactly have great underlying numbers to start the season, it’s also clear that a player like Suzuki does much more than just register his name on the scoresheet more often than most, which should offer a longer runway when it comes to early-season criticism, but such is life in Montreal.

Suzuki’s third goal of the year was assisted by Kirby Dach, and Jayden Struble.

Confusing Stripes

I don’t want to spend too much time on the referees, but I can’t omit the ridiculous decision made by the zebras when Nick Seeler jumped on Arber Xhekaj to prevent a fight with Sean Couturier. Even if we ignore that Couturier’s hit on Dach was on the chin, the third-man in rule says any player that jumps into an altercation with two other players is considered the third-man in. But even if we ignore that, at the very least, Seeler deserved an unsportsmanlike penalty for jumping on Xhekaj.

In the end, Xhekaj received the only penalty on the play. Full marks to Seeler for saving Couturier’s bacon, but you’d be hard-pressed to justify Xhekaj receiving the only penalty in that situation.

It was awful refereeing, full stop.

Hard Work Rewarded

I’ve been fairly consistent when it comes to pointing out Brendan Gallagher’s excellent play this season, which means I don’t have to pontificate about the goal he scored on Sunday night.

But I will, because I love seeing a veteran get rewarded for his hard work, not to mention his dedication to the sport. On top of his resurgence this season, Gallagher has now scored as many goals in a Montreal Canadiens uniform as Hall Of Fame inductee and faceoff master Guy Carbonneau (220). We’ve discussed the need for the

Gallagher would go on to produce the slowest, ugliest, but somehow the most inspiring pass in the history of the NHL when he found Jake Evans all alone late in the second period. You know those ugliest dog competitions? This was the hockey version of that, and Gallagher brought home the first place trophy. Or maybe it was just Gallagher invoking the spirit of Pirlo, one of the most magical athletes of all time. Either way, Gallagher is producing, and everyone that insulted him last season needs to add a little crow to their next meal.

On another note, Evans is always quick to respond when the team needs it most, and he now has goals in back-to-back games.

Cole Caufield Can’t Cease Chalking Them Up

Even though Cole Caufield was criticized for only scoring goals, I suppose the Canadiens can afford to keep one of the leading scorers in the NHL in their lineup. All jokes aside, with eight goals in nine games, Caufield is off to a great start to the year, but more importantly, his line is now back to offering dominant performances. It took them a little while to get going, but Dach, Suzuki, and Caufield controlled the play by a significant margin against the Flyers, which suggests it’s a sustainable situation.

Eventually, you want to see Dach back on the second line, to spread the talent a little better throughout the lineup, but his presence on the top line has already started to yield positive results.

For the record, Caufield’s eighth goal of the year meant he was briefly tied with Nico Hischier and Nikita Kucherov for the league lead, but Hischier scored his ninth for the New Jersey Devils shortly afterwards. The good news is that doesn’t really matter. This will serve as another confidence boost for a player who is already overflowing with belief in his abilities due to his excellent play since the start of the year.

The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Tuesday. They will host the Seattle Kraken at the Bell Centre, with the puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm ET. All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.

*With an assist on Cole Caufield’s goal, Nick Suzuki now has 11 points in 9 games.

Related Topics:

MHN in your inbox

Enter your email address and get all of our articles sent directly to your inbox