“I sucked, plain and simple”: Canadiens’ Caufield reacts to playoff performance

One of the top players on the Montreal Canadiens is taking the team’s postseason exit to heart.

When speaking to the media during the team’s end-of-season media availability, Canadiens forward Cole Caufield was asked about the style of play during their run to the Eastern Conference Final. He was very critical of his performance, knowing he had learned a lot, but his desire to be better persists.

“Honestly, I sucked. That’s just plain and simple,” Caufield said. “I want to be a lot better. I expect a lot more out of myself. My teammates and coaches do, too. So, I think there’s a lot more out there. Nowhere near satisfied with how that went. … I think I could be a lot better…there’s a long way to go.”

Caufield was one of the top players for Montreal in getting through the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres, posting six goals and seven assists for 13 points in 19 games. However, he was criticized for his lack of production in the conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes, posting just two goals and three points in the five-game series. He was targeted by the Hurricanes’ defense, leading to a relatively tough series for him, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky.

“Not good at all. You don’t obviously get to the conference finals without the other guys on the team, too. They stepped up and carried us along. We expect more from ourselves and demand that out of ourselves, too. There’s a long ways to go, and we can be better, but just wasn’t wasn’t good enough at all.”

The Canadiens were manhandled by the well-structured, experienced Carolina team that was able to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years. Montreal set an NHL record for fewest shots per 60 minutes across three games in NHL history, thanks to being held to under 20 shots from Games 2 through 4.

The playoff disappointment comes after an exceptional regular season for the 25-year-old. He scored 51 goals and 37 assists for a career-high 88 points, becoming the first Hab to reach the 50-goal mark since Stephane Richer during the 1989-90 season.

Nevertheless, even with a fun run to the semifinals, how the Canadiens lost has left a bad taste in the mouth of Caufield and his teammates.

“I think everybody could be better, and everybody’s excited for next year.”