The Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night got a huge two points over the Tampa Bay Lightning, which has them alone in second place in the Atlantic Division and in the driver's seat for home ice advantage in the first round. It was also a special night for Cole Caufield as he finally reached 50 goals after being stuck at 49 for three games.
It is the first time the Canadiens have had a player score 50 or more goals since the 1989-90 season, when Stephane Richer had 51. After the game, Caufield had a pretty honest reaction about the chase that players usually don't share and admitted it was on his mind.
Cole Caufield very candid about the pressure to reach 50 goals
"Not going to lie, I have been pretty stressed out the past couple of days," Caufield said.
"Honestly, it felt like it was never going to come there for a couple of days, but it was three games and felt like forever. I am just glad it is kind of over with now, and we can get back to work."
The Canadiens forward was stuck at 49 after scoring two against the New York Rangers, and while three games isn't long to go between goals for most players, that was the case for Caufield. He hadn't had such a long scoreless stretch since mid-January, when he didn't have a goal in four straight games.
That stat alone highlights just how remarkable a season he has had and how good he has been as of late. It is clear from the interview after the game that he wanted the milestone, but wanted to also put it behind him.
The game against the Lightning couldn't have come at a better time, as it almost served as a distraction from chasing the milestone. This game had huge playoff implications against a division rival, and Caufield, along with the rest of his teammates, had to focus on the opponent rather than worrying too much about the milestone.
"Obviously, when the moment's high, you kind of just think about doing the right things out there, so I think honestly that definitely helped and big two points for the team," Caufield said.
It isn't surprising that by shifting the focus, the game and the moment came to Caufield, rather than dwelling on the 50th goal. The Canadiens have three games left, with one more home game on Saturday before finishing on the road against the Islanders and Flyers. If they win those three, their next home game will be the first game of the playoffs and likely against these same Tampa Bay Lightning.