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Division Battle, Caufield, Suzuki, Petry | Habs Notepad

Chris G

Habs News: Montreal Canadiens, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Jeff Petry, Dominique Ducharme

Jeff Petry (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)

ROCKET SPORTS MEDIA | LAVAL, QC. — For the first and only time this season, the Canadiens played four games last week against four different opponents. On Monday, the Habs beat the Flames 2-1 in the final match of the three-game series in Calgary.

“The power play stepped up and got one, and then we battled. It wasn’t pretty. It was a grind. Everyone stuck to the game plan, especially in the second, when we had some tough shifts where we were in our own end for a while. I think guys just battled and found a way to win on the road,” Shea Weber said.

On Wednesday, the Maple Leafs scored a power play goal 1:38 into the match, and never looked back as they handed the Habs a 4-1 loss at the Bell Centre.

“There are just no excuses. They looked pretty flat tonight and I think we made it an easy hockey game for them. These are the games that you’ve just got to find a way to win and just grind through. You’ve just got to find a way and all come together and good things will happen. We just didn’t have a full 60-minute hockey game tonight,” said an upset Josh Anderson.

On Friday, Montreal overcame two deficits and scored four unanswered goals to win 5-3 against Winnipeg. “It was huge. It was huge for our confidence, huge in the standings. To score five goals, it gives us the confidence that we can put the puck in the net, so hopefully we can carry that into the games going forward,” former Jet Ben Chariot said.

Caufield’s First Goal

On Saturday, Cole Caufield netted his first career National Hockey League (NHL) goal in a dramatic fashion. The 20-year old scored the overtime winner against the Senators to give his team the 3-2 victory.

“I was just skating as fast as I could back door, yelled for it, and he put it right on my stick. It was a big goal for us, and it was one of the best of my life,” said a smiling Caufield.

Caufield had several scoring opportunities since his debut versus Calgary. “It turned out pretty great for him. He’s had a bunch of opportunities to score and they just haven’t gone in. I was just telling him to stay with it. It’s not a bad first goal to win it in overtime. He’s a scorer and he’s going to be scoring goals for a long time,” Nick Suzuki said.

While he was giving a post-game television interview from the ice, Caufield’s teammates prepared a surprise for him.

“We were all waiting for him and we gave him the silent treatment. I’ve seen it in years past with other guys walking in, not saying a word and letting them sit there. He was kind of looking around a little confused and then everyone broke out and congratulated him,” Jeff Petry explained.

“You really don’t know what to expect. I didn’t see it coming. But, the guys have been great to me, so I couldn’t be happier with the reaction after the silent treatment. It’s all pretty surreal right now,” reacted Caufield.

Playoff Race

Saturday’s victory over the Jets, in combination with Calgary’s and Vancouver’s regulation losses gave back the Canadiens a comfortable buffer for the fourth playoff spot in the Scotia North division. They’re currently two points behind Winnipeg for third place.

This week, Montreal faces Toronto three times and a fourth matchup against Ottawa, while Winnipeg plays against Ottawa twice, and Calgary once. In terms of strength of opponents, the Jets have the advantage this week. As the cliché says, any team can beat any opponent, and it should be a tight race until game 56.

“It’s important to get the wins. Like I said the other day, when we play our game, when we play our style, our fate’s in our hands. Credit to us tonight, going down 2-0 again and finding a way to battle back. I think the last two efforts show we’re willing to put in whatever it takes here to make sure that we control our own destiny,” Petry said on Saturday.

The Canadiens reversed a tendency by winning their last two matches after allowing the first goal. “We had confidence to come back. We felt like we were in the game the whole time and we never got too down on ourselves. I think that’s something that we were doing before, but lately we’ve tried to have a better bench, keep the mood up and it’s really translated well coming back into those games,” Suzuki said.

Prior to the win against Ottawa, Montreal had won twice in 20 games where they allowed the first goal to their opponent.

Suzuki Producing

After being held off the board in four consecutive matches, Nick Suzuki is currently on a five-game point streak, where he has recorded a total of four goals, and seven points.

“I think the last couple of weeks, I’ve found a better game. Dominique’s been very on me to bring that competitive edge every game, and I think I’ve been bringing that lately. It’s turned into some production, but we still have a few games left, and I need to bring that for the rest of them,” explained Suzuki.

“He’s a real smart player, and he doesn’t need to try to over-smart the game, because it’s natural for him. He’s good when he’s competitive, and that means for me, when he’s moving his feet, when he gets on pucks quick, when he steals the puck from the opponents, when he’s playing with pace,” Ducharme said. The coach added that Suzuki has been playing at this best since their matches in Calgary.

Petry Steps Up

Shea Weber wasn’t able to participate in the last two matches due to an upper body injury. That forces Jeff Petry to step up and lead the defence corps. The veteran is currently on a four-game point streak, and on Saturday, he scored his first goal in 23 games.

“It’s a matter of just elevating my game, picking and choosing when to jump in the play. I felt the last two games, I’ve just been skating better, being up in the play. I think just playing my game, and the style of play that for a little stretch there, I kind of got away from. It’s just a matter of re-focusing,” Petry assessed.

“Overall, he’s had an excellent season. Just like the team, he slowed down for a period. He’s at his best when he skates, and that helps him defensively and offensively,” Ducharme added.

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By Chris G., Senior Writer
All Habs Hockey Magazine
Copyright © 2021 Rocket Sports

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