As most of you have probably seen, heard, or read by now, the Montreal Canadiens won Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, in overtime.
And which Hab loves to shine in overtime? Of course, we all know that’s Cole Caufield.
Although he didn’t score the goal, he started the play – okay, maybe Alex Galchenyuk did with his pass to Caufield, but after Nick Suzuki joined him on a 2 on 0 breakaway, it was clearly over.
Caufield skating down the ice, then passing the puck to Suzuki, Suzuki passing it to Caufield, and Caufield passing it one last time to Suzuki who shot it and won it for the Canadiens. It had everyone on their feet cheering for the two youngsters.
The Montreal Canadiens’ Dynamic Duo
I have probably said how much I liked these two guys together, and I will keep saying it. They should never be separated again. They belong on the same line and they just keep proving it night in and night out. And that wasn’t the only time we saw it last night.
The Tyler Toffoli-Suzuki-Caufield line had so many chances but was just not able to capitalize in regulation. But with Joel Armia scoring two goals in the first period and Kotkaniemi scoring after a battle in the front of the net in the second, the fact that Toffoli, Suzuki, and Caufield (or anyone really) were not scoring did not seem like an issue.
In the end, all that matters is getting goals, and not who they’re from.
But the dynamic duo has once again shown they belong together and have immense chemistry. Their ability to read each others’ plays is simply indescribable, which makes us question why Caufield was not in for Games 1 and 2.
But at least, he’s now not only playing, but with Toffoli and Suzuki, so let’s focus on that. If they can bring back their chemistry for Game 6, it could be a big help to the team. They’re the Habs’ future, and everyone knows it.
Something else I noticed about these two youngsters was their ability to make defensive plays when needed, especially Caufield, who I think has been making that extra effort in the last two games. Even Suzuki noticed Cole’s effort to clear their zone last night and gave his younger linemate a pat on the head while heading to the bench.
Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson also had a good game, and if they keep playing like they are, the puck is due to get into the net, right?
With last night’s win, I’m expecting an, even more, energized team to show up for Game 6 on Saturday and keep fighting to stay alive.
The Montreal Canadiens will finally get to play in front of fans at the Bell Centre for the first time in over a year. So, that could be a huge boost for them, not only getting to see fans in the building, but also their families.