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The St. Louis effect: Caufield already has quadruple the goals under new Habs coach

Al Sciola
Al Sciola
|
Feb 18 2022, 8:45 pm
The St. Louis effect: Caufield already has quadruple the goals under new Habs coach

Under former head coach Dominique Ducharme, Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield scored one goal over his first 30 games this season.

Now, under the leadership of newly appointed interim head coach and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Martin St. Louis, Caufield has scored four goals in four games.

This is not a coincidence.

Despite critics who claimed the rookie was a “bust”, Caufield’s talent never went away. It was just not being properly utilized.

Since being drafted 15th overall by the Canadiens in 2019, Caufield’s stock was on a steady and momentous rise. And, last year the 21-year-old showed everyone what he could do, beginning 2021 with a star-studded performance at the World Junior Championship, where he represented the United States.

Following that, Caufield was named to the AHCA First-Team All-American and won the Hobey Baker Award as the top NCAA men’s ice hockey player.

As his college career came to a close, Caufield signed a three-year entry-level deal with Montreal last March. He was assigned to their AHL affiliate and made his professional debut for the Laval Rocket on April 9. The young sniper netted two goals and one assist that night.

After only two games in the AHL, Montreal called him up.

Quickly becoming a fan favourite, Caufield — despite his small stature — came up big once again, scoring four goals and one assist over 10 regular season games with the Habs.

Then came the playoffs. While the Habs battled hard against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, Caufield sat in the press box for the first two games as a healthy scratch. While he deserved to play coming off his late season highlights, Ducharme opted for experience over production.

But as Montreal’s luck turned in the series after being down 3-1, so began their miracle run to the Stanley Cup Final. And, in a year of so many firsts, Caufield proved to be a difference-maker yet again, netting four goals and 12 points in 20 postseason games, earning the nickname “Goal Caufield” in the process.

The 2021-2022s seaon got off to a rocky start and got progressively worse as the months went on. From COVID-19 cases to injuries to firings, things went from bad to worse than they have ever been.

As a result, Caufield’s momentum, like almost all his teammates, came to a screeching halt. By November, the goalless rookie was sent down to Laval, a move that was likely made to help the player regain his confidence.

When he returned to the Canadiens three weeks later, it was much of the same. And as the team sank to the bottom of the standings, faith in Ducharme’s system seemed to wither down.

The coach, desperate for solutions, eventually relegated Caufield down to the fourth line. Unsurprisingly, giving a player who proved he can score at every level less than 10 minutes of ice time a night, did not help the team in any way.

Ducharme, who, to be fair, was given a bad hand in many ways, seemed to have lost the room. A change was needed.

And finally, it came — in the form of an offensive-minded first-time NHL coach.

When St. Louis was hired by General Manager Kent Hughes on February 9, he asked fans to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Give me a chance and I’ll show you what I can do,” he said, adding that this team, who have gone through an abysmal first half of the season needs to “have fun” above all else.

And after promoting Caufield back to a scoring position, St. Louis earned his first win as an NHL coach on Thursday night. Meanwhile, number 22’s point streak continued as he netted two and found himself in the NHL record books.

“We’re pumped up for him,” said Caufield in a postgame interview. “I think the buzz around the room is pretty high right now for that reason. It’s obviously big for our team but to get his first under his belt, hopefully, we can string some together now.”

While playoffs are certainly out of the question, it would appear that the dark cloud that has loomed over Montreal Canadiens for the better half of a year has finally started to clear.

Only time will tell how St. Louis pans out as an NHL coach. But one thing is certain. For the first time in a long time, Caufield and the Canadiens seem inspired, and that’s got to be good for something.

They also seem to be having a lot more fun.

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