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The Montreal Canadiens are in New Jersey on Saturday to kick off a home-and-home against the Devils. While a playoff spot is a formality at this point, it becomes official with two victories this weekend.
Saturday’s contest wraps up a five‑game road trip, with Montreal winning the first four. They’re the NHL’s hottest team right now with seven straight wins, all in regulation. The Canadiens are drawing attention across the league, especially two players.
Cole Caufield
Cole Caufield scored twice in Thursday’s 3-2 win against the New York Rangers, to bring his total to 49 for the season. He will be looking to reach the 50-goal mark versus New Jersey. The last Canadien to hit 50 was Stephane Richer in 1989-90. With one goal separating them and Colorado holding a game in hand, the Rocket Richard race may come down to the final night.
The 25-year-old took his scoring touch to the next level starting January 15th. Since that date, he leads the league with 28 goals in 27 matches. Filip Forsberg is second with 19.
“Cole has shown that he’s not just a goal scorer. I know he scores big goals, but he’s playing the game the right way. When you play like that, especially with his talent, you just increase the percentages of getting those goals,” Martin St. Louis shared his thoughts on Caufield’s recent success.
It is encouraging that he’s heating up during the time of the season where every goal and every win matters. The Wisconsin native is delivering important goals. He leads the NHL with 12 game-winning-goals.
Nick Suzuki
Nick Suzuki is six points shy of reaching 100. He would be the first to reach that mark since Mats Naslund in 1985-86. During the current seven-game winning streak, the captain has played an important role with 13 points. The offence is impressive, but his overall game is getting plenty of attention.
“I think his game, I mean I think he’s got one of the more mature, 200-foot games in the league right now. He’s got 90-plus points. He reminds me of Patrice Bergeron the way he plays the game. There’s an honesty to his game, he plays on both sides of the puck, he wins faceoffs, he’s gritty,” New York Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said.
“It’s really nice to hear those comments from other coaches and players. It’s always great to see what they think about you; it goes a long way. He has obviously coached a lot of great teams and great players, so it’s great to hear that coming from him. I obviously loved watching Patrice [Bergeron] and I want to be the best 200-foot player I can be. That has always been my goal,” Suzuki responded to the comments.
It’s not the first time Suzuki’s name has appeared in the same conversation as Bergeron’s. The Bruins forward won the Frank Selke Trophy six times during his Hall of Fame career, but his season high was 79 points.
“It would be unbelievable. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be that player who could be relied upon on both sides of the puck in whatever situation I am playing in. All the past Selke winners are guys I have always looked up to, so to be in consideration for that would be really cool,” Suzuki said when asked about a potential Selke nomination.
Farm Report: Rocket Slumping
The Laval Rocket opened their doubleheader weekend with a 5–2 loss to the Calgary Wranglers (Flames). Owen Beck opened the scoring at Place Bell, but Calgary took control in the second period with five unanswered goals. Kaapo Kahkonen was pulled after allowing five goals on 20 shots against the league’s 31st‑place team. Tyler Thorpe cut the deficit late in the frame, and Sean Farrell extended his point streak to six games with an assist.
The two teams square off again on Saturday afternoon.
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