Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield (13) celebrates after scoring against the Rangers in New York on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

BUFFALO — Cole Caufield filled the net during the regular season.

The Canadiens sniper bagged 51 goals — the first time the Original Six franchise has had a player reach the half-century mark in 36 years — as part of a campaign marked with memorable moments.

Caufield found it much tougher sledding in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for Montreal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a seven-game series that featured razor-thin margins and four overtime contests.

The five-foot-eight, 175-pound winger scored once and added three assists on the power play, but was held off the scoresheet at 5-on-5.

Caufield did his best to impact proceedings other ways throughout a grinding, defensive matchup with the Lightning, including a roster-topping five hits — "That's a real stat," said captain and linemate Nick Suzuki — in the Canadiens' smash-and-grab 2-1 victory over the Lightning in Game 7.

Montreal also knows that in order to make the NHL's Eastern Conference final, its offensive catalyst up front will likely need to find his range.

"He's been playing some good hockey," Suzuki said Wednesday before the Canadiens opened their second-round series on the road against the Buffalo Sabres. "Everyone wants him to score, and so does he, but he's been defending hard.

"He's bought in."

The Canadiens' top line of Caufield, Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, who were split up at times by head coach Martin St. Louis, combined for just one even-strength breakthrough versus the Lightning in a series that saw each game decided by one goal.

Caufield's power-play effort came in Game 4 before being held completely at bay through the final three contests.

"It's pretty obvious that he doesn't need a whole lot of time and space," Montreal defenceman Mike Matheson said. "It's just a matter of time for him. We're not worried at all about him."

St. Louis was succinct when asked what the message is to Caufield as the Canadiens pivot to a matchup that could feature more open ice with the league's fifth- and seventh-best offensive teams during 2025-26 going head-to-head in an Atlantic Division showdown.

"Keep playing," said St. Louis, a 2018 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee with a similar frame to Caufield.

Suzuki said he's seen a lot of growth in his linemate's craft since first entering the league in 2020-21.

"His play away from the puck, the way he gets into good ice," said the centre named among three finalists for the Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward Wednesday. "He's turned himself into a guy that can read the forecheck really well and turn over pucks. He's become a lot better player.

"It's amazing to see him put all the work in."

The Canadiens just hope that blood and sweat also leads to a few more goals this spring.

"He's doing whatever it takes," Suzuki said. "But we're still going to look for him to score and put him in good positions."

FAMILY FEUD?

Matheson is married to former U.S. national team defender and Western New York product Emily Pfalzer Matheson.

The Canadiens blueliner, who spends his summers in the Buffalo area and often trains alongside Sabres forwards Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, had to double-check with his in-laws on their rooting interests.

"They're all pretty committed to our team," Matheson said with a smile. "I had to make sure."

DOWN TIME

The Canadiens stayed in Tampa after topping the Lightning in Sunday's Game 7 instead of immediately heading north. The club took a day off before hitting the practice ice and boarding a flight to Buffalo.

"It was great just hang out, recover rest, get some sun," Suzuki said. "You go through a seven-game series like that, it's nice to just have a full reset and then get right back to it. Everyone's in good headspace and ready to go back into the war."

BORDER BATTLE

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney inserted a little cross-border politics into the Canadiens' playoff run Wednesday.

"How important is the Habs run? There's not much (that's) more important, and I look forward to calling the president of the United States and sending him his Habs jersey," Carney said at an event in the Montreal region.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2026.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2026