The Montreal Canadiens are heading home with their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning tied 1-1, but despite the sting of a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss in Game 2, there is a different feeling around this group than in years past.
Now, Cole Caufield is opening up with a brutally honest reflection on Montreal’s painful playoff lessons, and how much this team has grown since last season.
Cole Caufield Gets Real About Montreal Canadiens’ Playoff Growth
A year ago, the Canadiens battled their way into the postseason as the Eastern Conference’s second wild card with a 40-31-11 record, only to run into the Metropolitan Division-leading Washington Capitals and fall in five games.
That series clearly left a mark.
This season has looked worlds different. Montreal took a major step forward, finishing third in the Atlantic Division with a 48-24-10 record and 106 points, matching second-place Tampa Bay in points. Caufield believes that jump came from learning the hard way. “We’re not last year’s team. I think everybody can see that,” Caufield wrote for The Players’ Tribune. “We took a lot from losing that Washington series. They pushed us around. They owned us, point blank.”
Rather than letting that disappointment define them, Caufield says the Canadiens used it as motivation. “But we learned from that failure, and came back a tighter group this season,” he added. “Big credit goes to Nick [Suzuki] and his leadership, and obviously to Marty.”
Caufield also made it clear how much head coach Martin St. Louis has shaped his development.
“To be coached by one of the legends of the sport… I wish I could be cool about it, but it’s just insane to get to learn from him every day. Marty has really helped evolve my game,” Caufield said.
After edging Tampa Bay 4-3 in Game 1, Montreal nearly grabbed a 2-0 series lead before Game 2 slipped away in overtime.
The pivotal moment came when Kirby Dach’s clearing attempt led to an icing call, leaving a tired Canadiens unit trapped in its own zone. Moments later, a defensive breakdown allowed J.J. Moser to sneak behind coverage and beat Jakub Dobes for the winner, a sequence that brought heavy criticism toward Dach.
Now the Canadiens return to Montreal for Friday’s Game 3 looking to respond.
With home ice and Caufield leading a confident, battle-tested group, the Canadiens will try to reclaim control of the series and prove they’re no longer the team that got pushed around a year ago.
