- Caufield has 1 goal in 8 playoff games after scoring 51 in the regular season
- The Canadiens trail Buffalo 1-0 after Wednesday’s 4-2 Game 1 loss
- Read below for what Caufield said about his slump and how Martin St. Louis is responding
Cole Caufield knows he’s letting the Canadiens down.
The sniper finished the regular season with 51 goals, second in the league behind Nathan MacKinnon, but through eight playoff games he has just one. After Wednesday’s 4-2 Game 1 loss to the Sabres, the 25-year-old didn’t dance around it.
“As a whole, not where I want it to be,” Caufield said, per TSN’s Mark Masters. “Obviously, I expect more out of myself, and my teammates do too. Just trying to get better every game and just trying to make a difference.”
Watch the full scrum:
His last goal came in Game 4 against Tampa Bay. Four straight contests without a point. That’s his longest dry spell since mid-January.
Frustration showed up Wednesday. Caufield finished with two shots and a minus-one, and slammed his stick against the boards a couple of times heading back to the bench.
Caufield was asked if his confidence had taken a hit.
“It’s still there,” he said. “Obviously, I want to be better. I want to produce more, but you can’t lack confidence in this league. Once you do, I think that’s when you really start to struggle. The confidence is there.”
The whole top line has gone quiet. Nick Suzuki has a goal and an assist. Slafkovsky and Caufield haven’t put up an even-strength point in eight games.
Martin St. Louis was asked how he’s handling his slumping winger.
“Just keep putting him out there,” St. Louis said. “Players are competitors. They’re competitive. They’re hungry. They want more. Just keep putting him out there.”
Game 2 goes Friday night at KeyBank Center (7 p.m. ET). Buffalo got the opening goal of the series from Josh Doan and already has Bowen Byram tying franchise records on the back end. Montreal can’t fall to 0-2 without its 51-goal scorer finally popping one in.
The talent isn’t the question. The bounces are.
