Cole Caufield: a lack of finish, confidence and consistency – Canada Boosts

Proper now, the Montreal Canadiens are having a relatively irritating season general, and it’s not prone to get any higher with time.

Let me clarify.
Firstly, accidents to key gamers are as soon as once more piling up, as they did final season.

What’s most annoying right here is that it’s the gamers we wished to see progress this season who’ve suffered long-term accidents. I’m speaking, after all, about Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook.

Secondly, the Habs are heading straight for “No Man’s Land” within the standings.

Certainly, by sustaining a document of round .500, the Tricolore may be very prone to find yourself in the midst of the pack, which implies no playoffs, but additionally no high star participant within the draft.

And eventually, nicely, lots of the gamers we have been excited to see take one other “step” of their improvement are stagnating and even regressing in comparison with final season.

One in all these gamers is Cole Caufield.

The conclusion is evident after simply over 1 / 4 of the 2023-2024 season: one thing’s not proper with quantity 22.

Certainly, we don’t have the identical Caufield as final season.

By way of factors, sure, it’s related.

If we simply have a look at factors relatively than targets, Caufield is producing on the similar fee as final season.

• 0.79 factors per sport in 2023-2024
• 0.78 factors per sport in 2022-2023

Besides that the issue isn’t factors in Caufield’s case, it’s targets.

He’s nowhere close to his goal-scoring tempo of final season.

Along with his seven targets in 24 video games, Caufield is on a 24-goal tempo over 82 video games.

That’s not almost sufficient for a pure scorer like Caufield, who scored 26 targets in 46 video games final season.

Nonetheless, the CH’s quantity 22 continues to be taking extra pictures than final season, he’s getting good scoring probabilities and Nick Suzuki continues to be managing to identify him.

So is Caufield simply unfortunate?

Maybe somewhat, however he’s additionally clearly missing in ending in the mean time, prefer it or not.

Caufield’s pictures are discovering the right angle and opening much less usually this season, and that’s considerably worrying.

Firstly, as a result of with out as many Caufield targets, the CH is struggling, and secondly, as a result of it’s hurting No. 22’s confidence.

Even when he will get factors on the similar fee as final season, Caufield is, in spite of everything, a purpose scorer.

I’m positive in the event you requested Caufield if he was happy together with his manufacturing thus far this season, he’d say no. He’d clearly choose to have 12 targets.

Clearly, he’d relatively have 12 targets and 7 assists than seven targets and 12 assists.

And so, not scoring extra targets than that turns into irritating for Caufield, who’s more and more missing in confidence.
It exhibits in his play, as he usually tries to cheat by working rather less exhausting within the nook, hoping to get a greater likelihood to attain or hoping to obtain the puck on a silver platter.

It’s fairly apparent that he usually avoids getting hit.

When coming into territory, he usually drops the puck as a substitute of making an attempt a play that would result in him being checked.
He even turns his physique to keep away from being hit on the facet of his operated shoulder.
Sound acquainted? Jonathan Drouin, maybe?

Sure, it’s all very worrying, and makes you surprise if his surgical procedure is definitely hurting him.

Perhaps bodily every thing’s advantageous, however mentally, Caufield feels extra weak.

In brief, let’s actually hope that Caufield can get again to his cruising pace of final season, as a result of that may be a fantastic assist to the CH, and it could be very optimistic to see him progress and dominate.

His lack of consistency is horrifying, on condition that for the reason that begin of the season, he’s had 9 video games with two pictures or much less and 12 with 4 or extra.

Caufield ought to discover a strategy to stability issues out in order that he will get loads of pictures in each sport.
Keep tuned.

In a flurry

– A minimum of Emil Heineman had a purpose and an help in final evening’s 4-3 loss.

– What a expertise, Leo Carlsson.

– Excellent news for the Senators.

– Issues aren’t wanting good for Evgeny Kuznetsov.

– Wow. To be adopted very intently.

If it’s not Ohtani, it’s Juan Soto@BlueJays
What if it’s each? https://t.co/PZS2I3nGgp

– Jeremy Filosa (@JeremyFilosa) December 3, 2023