Canadiens Highlights: Caufield Hat Trick Wasted In Boston

The Montreal Canadiens were in Boston to face the Bruins on Saturday night, in a classic match up between Atlantic […]

Canadiens Highlights: Caufield Hat Trick Wasted In Boston

The Montreal Canadiens were in Boston to face the Bruins on Saturday night, in a classic match up between Atlantic Division rivals.

The Habs had more shots, and more quality scoring chances, not to mention a hat-trick performance by Cole Caufield, but indiscipline and questionable goaltending was a bridge too far, as the Bruins emerged with a 4-3 win.

Let’s dive into the highlights!

Caufield On Fire

Few NHL players have enjoyed more success in the goal scoring department than Cole Caufield, a trend that has no signs of slowing down given the American sniper’s affinity for making an impact at clutch moments.

He started Saturday’s game by scoring off the rush, though we do have to give a lot of credit to Mike Matheson for his brilliant pass.

The goal, which gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead, was Caufield’s 27th of the season, a number that would increase significantly before the end of the game.

Fight Night

Unlike some previous games between the Bruins and Habs, there were no fights when the puck was first dropped in the first period.

It took several minutes before a bout broke out, featuring Kirby Dach and Jonathan Aspirot. There was some concern that Dach had injured his hand, as he had to leave the ice for repairs, but he returned to play midway through the second period.

Hatty Season

Caufield kept the good times going in the second period, giving the Canadiens an important one-goal lead after he capitalized on yet another good pass by captain Nick Suzuki.

You’ll note he scored from a very limited angle, a recurring theme this season.

The Bruins quickly tied the game, but Caufield would not be stopped.

He scored completed the hat trick midway through the second period, reminding everyone at Team USA that they made a mistake by snubbing him for players who have 5/8 of his talent.

The goal gave the Canadiens a 3-2 lead heading into the intermission, while also controlling the shots and scoring chances at 5v5.

Montembeault Struggles

Unfortunately for Caufield and the Canadiens, two big issues came to the forefront. The first is Montreal’s lack of discipline, a longtime issue for the youngest team in the league.

The second is inconsistent goaltending. Samuel Montembeault made several great save on high-danger scoring chances, but he allowed at least two weak goals, another recurring theme this season.


The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Tuesday, facing the Vegas Golden Knights at the Bell Centre. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.

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Category: General Sports