ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Wild (10-2-3) are set to host the Montreal Canadiens (5-9-2) tonight.
The Canadiens last played on Monday. They beat the Buffalo Sabres 7-5. Despite their recent win, Montreal sits at the bottom of the standings. They are tied with the Nashville Predators for the fewest points in the league.
Montreal was 0-5-1 in their previous six games before they beat the Sabres on Monday. The club is coming out of a recent slump and is well-rested.
“Yeah, they’re quick and they’re fast. I think they have some guys that are really dangerous,” Wild head coach John Hynes said on Montreal. “I watched their game against Buffalo, they scored quite a bit. So I think we got to be cognizant of some things that they do in the ozone and some things they do off the rush.”
One of those guys is Cole Caufield, the NHL’s leading goal scorer. Caufield is currently tied for first in the NHL in goals with 12.
The native of Wisconsin had a career-high 28 goals last season for the Canadiens. He has played the last four years in the NHL after being drafted in the 2019 NHL Draft at pick No. 15, just three picks after the Wild took Matt Boldy.
Caufield, 23, signed an eight-year, $62.8 million contract in June of 2023 and is currently on pace for 61 goals this year. He has 93 goals, 69 assists, and 162 points in 221 career NHL games.
He had four goals and eight points in eight games for Team USA at the 2024 Men’s World Championships over the summer. Hynes was USA’s head coach for that tournament.
“I had an opportunity to coach him at the World Championships and he’s a smart guy. He’s got good speed and he’s explosive and elusive at his size,” Hynes said of Caufield. “He’s a competitive kid, competitive on the puck, and he’ll be competitive against bigger guys. I think his offensive instincts go along with his shot. He’s one of these guys that can find open areas or scoring areas where he can use his release.”
Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
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