The question was simply asked of Martin St-Louis before the Canadian left for Toronto. An English-speaking journalist asked him if he thought Cole Caufield could score 50 goals this season. The coach didn’t flinch.
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“Is it possible? “Yes,” replied St-Louis calmly.
“But it’s not something we focus on. If Cole scores 50 goals, the number of goals won’t impress me as much as his style of play, the impact he has on games, and how he plays on both ends of the ice.
St-Louis then went back to what he said at the beginning.
“I definitely think it is a possibility, but we are more focused on the result,” he stressed.
“Similarly, we place more emphasis on the process when it comes to the team. This kind of thing [connaître une saison de 50 buts] happens as a side effect.”
He couldn’t have answered
I remember that St. Louis didn’t reject the question out of hand. He could have said he didn’t want to venture into that territory or that he didn’t want to put any more pressure on Caufield, but no.
To be clear, this isn’t about pretending Caufield will score 50 goals. St. Louis just says it’s within the realm of possibility.
Photo Martin Chevalier
Caufield is labeled an outsider. Best thing we’ve seen in Montreal in a long time!
The last 40-goal scorer for the Canadian was Vincent Damphousse in the 1993-1994 season.
For his part, Stéphane Richer was the last Habs player to reach the 50-goal mark. He did it for the first time in 1987–1988 and a second time in 1989–1990.
Ants in the legs
Caufield, meanwhile, has found the target 48 times in 83 games since St. Louis was on the bench. He knows everything that is written and said about him on this topic.
Playing with predictions and comparisons is part of the everyday life of productive attackers. It fuels conversations between amateurs and journalists.
Caufield doesn’t shy away.
“It’s cool to be part of an organization like the Canadiens,” he told me.
“I want to be the player who scores goals, but I don’t want to put pressure on my shoulders. “I think of a number of goals that I would like to count,” he said, without giving a number.
“If I play my style of play, I will have chances to score.”
Caufield has ants in his legs, his last regular game was on January 12th.
He remembers the date well. Nine months without playing a game with real commitment is an eternity for a man like him who takes great joy in his job.
He prefers to score goals on the ice.
“I’m thrilled!” he said.
“Preparation games are good, but it’s only when it really matters that the game takes on its true meaning.”
Montembeault deserves to be in the starting lineup
Archive photo, Martin Chevalier
Would Samuel Montembeault deserve to start tonight’s first game of the season? The answer is yes.
It’s true that he didn’t have a great training camp. But the same goes for Jake Allen, who will face shots from the strong Leafs.
Martin St-Louis justified his choice by saying that after consulting with his goalkeeping coach Éric Raymond, the two came to the conclusion that the Canadian would have a better chance of defeating the Leafs with Allen.
It’s okay, the responsibility is theirs.
Big visit on Saturday
Still, it’s heartbreaking for Montembeault considering what he did for the team last season under difficult conditions.
We also saw at the World Cup what he could achieve if he was better protected.
But nothing is lost for him.
We can expect St-Louis to send him into action in Saturday’s local opener against the Chicago Blackhawks and their young treasure Connor Bedard.
This game is expected.
Bedard made his official debut Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. A second game awaits him on Wednesday in Boston.