Cole Caufield: It’s a good thing he doesn’t play like that in Toronto

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Cole Caufield: It’s a good thing he doesn’t play like that in Toronto
Credit: Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images

Last night, the Canadiens came up short in Buffalo.

There are several reasons why the Canadiens can hope to bounce back in this series. But there are also several reasons at the heart of the loss.

Top of the list? Cole Caufield's performance.

The Canadiens' #13 isn't up to par right now. Last night, he was particularly invisible, as he has been since the start of this year's playoffs.

If the Habs want to win, their top line will have to step up. And since Caufield is currently the weakest player on his line…

In fact, Drew Livingstone is right: if the Habs' first line were producing this little at even strength (Nick Suzuki has two points in eight games and that's it) and playing in Toronto, it would be the end of the world.

It would be THE hot topic in the NHL right now.

Of course, there are factors that make this situation different. Unlike the Maple Leafs, the Canadiens don't have a history of losing in the playoffs.

Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki led the Habs to the finals in 2021, something Toronto's stars have never done. And they're at least producing on the power play.

Cole Caufield is also clearly playing through an injury, which needs to be factored in as well.

But still: it's clear that right now, it's not just thanks to the top line that the Canadiens are in the second round. Without the depth players, beating Tampa Bay would have been impossible.

The guys are going to have to step up. And one has to wonder if that will involve a line change for Caufield, who really hasn't been playing up to his potential in the playoffs.

The guys at TVA Sports have raised the idea.

But it's not just the first line that's making headlines this morning. In fact, let's not forget that Nick Suzuki scored a power-play goal last night.

What are the key takeaways from the 4-2 loss, in reality?

1. Defensively, the Canadiens will need to step up. The Sabres play a different style of hockey than the Lightning, and the defensemen will have to adjust a bit.

Lane Hutson (who looked shaky on the first goal of the game) will need to step up his game, especially since he didn't have his best game of his career in Buffalo.

2. It's not Jakub Dobes' fault that the team lost yesterday. He could have done better on the Sabres' third goal, but overall, he was let down by his teammates.

He'll bounce back.

3. The Canadiens may have had more shots on goal, but they weren't necessarily high-quality shots. We're talking about 28 shots on goal compared to 16 for the home team.

The Sabres' chances were more dangerous. That's a big reason why we're talking about a lack of opportunism this morning.

4. It's clear that after an emotional series, the Canadiens were a bit drained. In hindsight, seeing a result like this isn't the most surprising thing in the world.

Even though the Sabres dictated the pace (and speed) of the game, Martin St. Louis is confident his team will bounce back and play the style of hockey they're capable of.

5. Buffalo fans are more… passionate than Lightning fans. Starting this series on the road isn't exactly a walk in the park for the Canadiens.

But that shouldn't stop the guys from playing physical, skating hard, and getting off quality shots.


in a flurry

– Oh yeah?

– It's Josh Anderson's birthday.

– Martin Madden as Canucks GM?

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