Canadiens Cole Caufield Has Five 2-Goal Games: Can He Hit 40?

The Montreal Canadiens have now lost five games in a row. However, the Habs’ first-line left-winger Cole Caufield isn’t slowing down. On New Years’ Eve scored his 20th and 21st goals of the season for the Canadiens despite the team’s losing skid.

Where will Caufield stop by the end of the season? He’s added them up two-by-two already five times on the season. Can he hit a few more multiple-goal games? If so, can he hit 40 goals?

Game One: Habs Beat Maple Leafs 4-3 on Opening Night

The Canadiens began the regular season on October 10. The team had just suffered a horrible preseason if winning games was an issue. The Habs came out of the preseason without a single win. However, that was to end in part because of Caufield. The Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 4-3.

Caufield wasted no time hitting the scoresheet. In fact, Caufield was an offensive force for the Habs by scoring two goals during the first two periods. Last season, it took him 31 games to score his two goals.

After one game on the season, he was 30 games ahead of last season’s pace. It was also Caufield’s first two-goal game of the season.

Related: 7 Cool Things About Carey Price

Game Two: Habs Beat Blues 7-4

Just over two weeks later, Caufield recorded his second multi-goal game of the season as the Canadiens beat the St. Louis Blues by a score of 7-4 on October 29. Those goals pushed Caufield to a three-game, five-point streak. At that point in the season, Caufield had put up seven goals and three assists in nine games.

Game Three: Habs Beat Flyers 5-4

On November 19, Caufield notched his third multiple-goal game when he scored two goals in his team’s 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. In fact, the Canadiens would not have had any chance at all in the game except for Caufield’s clutch score late in the game with only 1.9 seconds left on the clock.

That comeback goal sent the game into overtime where the Habs won in a shootout. The 21-year-old Caufield registered an assist as well as two goals, which matched his career-high three points. Until those two goals, he had been on a two-game pointless drought.

Related: Canadiens’ Carey Price Awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

Game Four: Habs Lose to Ducks 5-2

On December 15, Caufield had his fourth multiple-goal game of the season. However, for the first time when he scored more than a single goal, his Canadiens lost the game 5-2 to the Anaheim Ducks. Caufield got his team on the board with a power-play goal during the third period. His second goal was scored only a couple of minutes later. It tied the game 2-2.

However, that was the final Canadiens’ goal of the game. The Ducks tallied three more for the win. At that point, although Caufield was slowing down from his torrid pace, he still had put up 18 goals and added nine assists (for 27 points) in 30 games on the season.

Game Five: Habs Lose to Capitals 9-2

Caufield’s most recent multiple-goal came just two nights ago on New Years’ Eve. In that game against the Washington Capitals, Alex Ovechkin scored a hit trick himself to close in on Wayne Gretzky’s record for most goals in NHL history.

Caufield’s two scores didn’t give his Canadiens a chance against the roaring Capitals. The Habs suffered a 9-2 loss. And, once again, Caufield had each and every goal his team scored on the evening. As was the case two weeks earlier against the Ducks, that just wasn’t nearly enough scoring.

Where Caufield Stands in Canadiens’ History

Caufield has now played 37 games in the regular season. As noted, in those games he’s recorded five multiple-goal games.

More impressive is the fact that he’s the first Canadiens player to score 20 goals in 37 or fewer games in 27 seasons. The last two Canadiens players who accomplished the feat were Martin Rucinsky and Brian Savage, who both did in during the 1995-96 regular season.

Now two questions remain. Can Caufield continue this pace? If so, can he score 40 goals on the season? The 21-year-old is becoming one of the Habs’ fans’ favorite players – and with good reason.

Related: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MAPLE LEAFS’ PROSPECT JEREMY BRACCO?