‘I expect more out of myself’: Habs sniper Cole Caufield on offensive struggles - BERITAJA

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield drives toward the nett against the Rangers successful New York connected Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Cole Caufield had the puck connected his instrumentality successful premier shooting position.

The Canadiens were trailing by 2 early successful the 3rd play aft a beardown decorativeness to the 2nd against the Buffalo Sabres.

Caufield saw much room successful that infinitesimal connected a speedy 2-on-1 unreserved than he did astatine almost immoderate constituent successful Montreal’s playoff-opening bloodbath pinch the Tampa Bay Lightning.

A breakthrough location from the club’s 51-goal man could person changed the move of Wednesday’s second-round curtain-raiser. Known for picking corners and uncovering holes pinch pinpoint accuracy and elite vision, Caufield alternatively rushed a changeable that deed netminder Alex Lyon connected the crest of his jersey.

The series represented some a affirmative and a antagonistic for Montreal. Caufield yet had immoderate abstraction to manoeuvre. The finish, however, was still severely lacking.

Caufield registered a solitary power-play extremity successful that tight-checking, seven-game slugfest pinch the Lightning earlier again being held astatine bay successful Montreal’s 4-2 nonaccomplishment to Buffalo.

The first subordinate from the Original Six franchise to scope the half-century people for goals successful 36 years, he has now grounded to registry a constituent crossed his team’s past 4 contests.

“As a whole, not wherever I want it to be,” Caufield said erstwhile asked to measure his caller performances. “I expect much retired of myself, and my teammates do, too. Just trying to get amended each crippled and conscionable trying to make a difference.”

The 25-year-old took portion successful Thursday’s optional believe astatine KeyBank Center, adding his assurance remains precocious contempt this existent unsmooth patch.

“It’s still there,” said Caufield, a winger opinionated 5 ft 8 and weighing 175 pounds. “I want to beryllium better. I want to nutrient more, but you can’t deficiency assurance successful this league. Once you do, I deliberation that’s erstwhile you really commencement to struggle. The assurance is there, obviously, and the positivity successful this room is still going strong.

“There’s nary worries present … conscionable going to effort and proceed to activity harder.”

The free-flowing Sabres allowed Montreal’s apical line, 1 that includes Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slavkovsky, much abstraction to run successful Game 1 compared to the warfare of attrition faced against Tampa, but the trio was still incapable to link astatine 5-on-5.

Canadiens caput coach Martin St. Louis said that while the accent is connected Caufield to fig things out, the team’s corporate attack must stay strong.

“The game, successful general, was different than what we knowledgeable successful the past 7 games against Tampa,” St. Louis said of Wednesday night. “We played pinch the puck a batch more, pinch space. It’s been 2 weeks and much that we haven’t had that. I’m assured that we will amended pinch the puck successful space.

“And I’m assured Cole will beryllium a portion of our improvement.”

 Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield successful action against the Flyers successful Philadelphia connected Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

The Canadiens will look to moreover the best-of-seven bid Friday earlier proceedings displacement to the Bell Centre for Games 3 and 4.

Montreal defenceman Noah Dobson said the locker room isn’t concerned about Caufield and his linemates.

“They’re getting their looks and their chances,” he said. “It’s only a matter of clip … each the assurance successful those guys.”

“He’ll fig it out,” Canadiens guardant Alex Newhook added of Caufield. “He’s been a goal-scorer his full life. He’s proven he could people connected large occasions successful each different measurement this year. He’ll travel up large erstwhile we request him.”

Caufield is utilized to agleam lights and scrutiny — chasing 50 goals in Montreal isn’t for the faint of bosom — and he will proceed to attraction connected squad occurrence until the violative mojo returns.

“We’re conscionable chasing wins,” he said. “I deliberation that’s the civilized of the story.”

A mates pucks hitting the backmost of Buffalo’s nett would help.

EARLY SLIP

Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson had a reliable commencement to the 2nd information erstwhile he fell down early successful the first period, starring to a 2-on-1 and Josh Doan’s opener disconnected a Zach Benson setup.

“I consciousness everyone benignant of came fresh to play isolated from me, honestly,” Hutson said. “S—– bounce aliases whatever, but you’ve sewage to make a play there.”

“Not awesome emotion to commencement the game,” he added. “But consciousness for illustration I responded bully enough.”

This study by BERITAJA was first published May 7, 2026.