'It feels pretty good right now,' Canadiens' Cole Caufield says about hot start

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No Canadiens participant has ever received the Rocket Richard trophy, awarded yearly since 1998 to the NHL’s high goal-scorer.

And whereas mid-November is much too early to start speculating on what may transpire, the Canadiens’ Cole Caufield has 12 objectives by means of 16 video games, tying him for the league lead with Florida’s Sam Reinhart and Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl heading into Thursday evening’s recreation at Minnesota (8 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM).

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“It’s November. There’s not a lot to it,” Caufield mentioned after Wednesday morning’s apply on the CN Sports activities Advanced in Brossard. “I need to be higher away from pucks nonetheless and discover that facet of my recreation just a little bit extra. However it feels fairly good proper now for positive.”

The diminutive 5-foot-8, 175-pound winger scored twice, together with the winner, Monday afternoon because the Canadiens ended a six-game dropping streak with a 7-5 offensive outburst towards Buffalo. It marked the 18th time in Caufield’s profession he produced the profitable aim — the fourth-most for a Montreal participant earlier than the age of 24, surpassing Alex Galchenyuk.

Having taken solely 41 pictures, Caufield is scoring on an unimaginable 29.3 of his possibilities. Now in his fourth full season with Montreal, Caufield appears sure — supplied he stays wholesome — to obliterate his career-high of 28 objectives achieved final season.

“I don’t suppose I’m capturing sufficient, to be sincere with you,” he mentioned. “I really feel like puck luck might be one factor, however these are issues we undergo. You can have plenty of pictures and no objectives. I’m not going to complain about something. I simply need to be higher away from the puck and hopefully create extra possibilities to seek out extra objectives.”

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Whereas Caufield has scored in bunches, he solely has one help and is a minus-5. In 221 profession video games, he has scored 93 objectives and 162 factors, but in addition carries a minus-44 burden. He was signed to an eight-year, US$62.8-million contract in June 2023 that expires after the 2030-31 season, when Caufield can be 30.

Caufield had been on the Canadiens’ high line, with captain Nick Suzuki and both Juraj Slafkovsky or Kirby Dach, till Monday’s recreation when head coach Martin St. Louis teamed him with Jake Evans, who has unexpectedly develop into Montreal’s second-line centre, and Alex Newhook.

“I don’t know if (Caufield’s) able to taking part in with anyone, however for me, it was extra about splitting (Suzuki) and Cole,” St. Louis mentioned on Wednesday. “I simply felt they wanted time away from one another. I lived it as a participant. I had centres that I had nice chemistry with and produced with. At times you get just a little stale and (want) just a little time aside. While you get again collectively it takes off once more.”

Caufield quipped he’s merely in search of his thirteenth aim this season towards the Wild and nothing else issues.

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“On the finish of the day I simply need my recreation to really feel good,” he mentioned. “I need to create possibilities. I’m not sad about the place I’m at. I simply need to create extra as a result of I’m by no means actually happy. Each recreation you study extra from expertise. Generally while you’re taking part in an excessive amount of offence you overlook concerning the defensive facet. I’m simply making an attempt to steadiness that out just a little bit extra.

“I really feel fairly good, however all the time need to be higher. Jake’s fairly straightforward to play with and (Newhook) has plenty of pace. That creates plenty of offence. I like taking part in with these two. I believed we created plenty of possibilities.”

Suzuki mentioned he’s not shocked by something he witnesses from Caufield any longer.

“He all the time finds the precise areas,” Suzuki mentioned. “We’re searching for him in harmful positions, and he all the time appears to be there. He’s doing an awesome job of placing the puck within the web. He’s having enjoyable doing it and dealing onerous. He’s setting a very good instance.”

Suzuki had two objectives and 4 factors towards the Sabres and undoubtedly is feeling higher about his recreation, having gone the earlier 4 matches and not using a level whereas admitting he may present extra to the staff. He nonetheless leads the staff with six objectives and 17 factors. Solely Caufield and Brendan Gallagher (seven objectives) have scored extra.

“Generally you play nicely and don’t get away with something,” Suzuki mentioned on Wednesday. “It was a productive evening. We have been proud of the win. General the win makes everybody really feel quite a bit higher going into the subsequent recreation.”

Samuel Montembeault will begin in web towards Minnesota. Though the Wild is coming off a 2-1 time beyond regulation loss at Chicago on Sunday, the staff sits second within the Central Division (10-2-3) and has allowed solely 39 objectives in 15 video games.

hzurkowsky@postmedia.com

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