Discreet by nature, Cole Caufield agreed to open up his game a little to this author on Thursday afternoon, a few hours after his return from Toronto.
• Also read: “We are the stars of this city” – Cole Caufield
“Everyone knows that I like to score goals. That’s what I do best. I do my best in every game to score as many goals as possible. But it’s a league where it’s difficult to do that.”
We get that. Still, the American was set for a 46-goal season before retiring with a shoulder injury in January. Since the arrival of Martin St-Louis, the number 22 has now found the target 49 times in 84 games.
Statistics that led me to predict a 51-goal season for him in the special issue published last Saturday.
“The beginning is good! “I almost scored two goals last night,” Caufield said in response to that prediction.
In order. But what should I be willing to risk if I had to bet on it? A coffee, a few thousand dollars or my house?
“I don’t want you to lose too much. “So a coffee or two would seem appropriate,” Caufield answered first, hinting at a smile.
Then, after a few seconds of thought, he added, “Actually, you could win a few hundred dollars.”
Photo agency QMI, JOEL LEMAY
A jump of 27 points
If the predictions for Caufield are good on an individual level, they are less so for team results. Very few people give the Tricolore even the slightest chance of taking part in the playoffs.
“They are not the ones playing, so we have to ignore their opinion. “We are young, but I think we can surprise several teams,” he emphasized. We can compete with anyone. We demonstrated it last night [mercredi] against the Maple Leafs, one of the best teams in the league.”
That’s all well and good, but making a jump of almost thirty points in one season doesn’t happen often. This is the feat the Canadian must achieve if he wants to qualify for the spring tournament for the first time since playing in the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. He has to pass from the 68 points collected last season. at least at 95.
It seems like a lot, but Caufield believes it.
“We never know. There’s no point in looking at the numbers in advance. We know our division is very competitive. Frequently playing against Atlantic Division teams will help us a lot in our development. It can only be beneficial. “
So Cole, coffee, a few thousand dollars or the house?
“I’m sure the odds are pretty stacked against us. So if you win a coffee you could make a lot of money.”
The first since Kovalev
To achieve these two goals, Caufield and his teammates need the unwavering support of Nick Suzuki, his main accomplice.
An 80-point scorer in a blue, white and red jersey is not as rare as a 50-goal scorer, but not common either. Except for Alex Kovalev in 2007 and 2008, there has been none in the last quarter century.
Caufield hopes his captain will end this drought.
“I would definitely go for a few thousand dollars. I’m pretty confident about that. Nick plays so well. Plus, he never misses a game.”
Noted. Nothing goes well, the game is over.
Everyone note, I drink my coffee black.