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Montreal and Colorado aren’t the first to try this.

Bednar said, “You never know until you try, and I don’t think you can be scared to try in a lot of situations.” Newhook and Ranta got that treatment for Colorado after coach Jared Bednar felt they deserved a spot in the lineup. Entering a playoff series midway through can resemble jumping onto a moving train and be difficult for even seasoned veterans. “But the guys have made me feel pretty comfortable, and the coaching staff has done a great job of welcoming me in and teaching me real fast how to play here.” “You learn from each game, and you kind of grow and make adjustments along the way,” Caufield said. “He’s really committed to his game and to the team, so putting him on the ice and seeing how he gets better on those little things every time he steps on, that’s how as a coach you gain more and more confidence.”įor all the confidence Caufield shows on the ice, he oozes humility at the same time - something Granato believes is crucial when joining an NHL team late in the season as a young player. “Any time we bring up a detail with or without the puck or we talk about something on his game or the team game, he really pays attention and you can see if he gets back in the same situation, he will react differently,” Ducharme said. Former NHL scout Dave Starman said Caufield is more confident than ever handling the puck in his own zone, and the commitment to becoming an all-around player hasn’t gone unnoticed by his coaching staff. While Caufield’s 52 points in 31 games at Wisconsin propelled him to win the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s top player, those didn’t matter much when transitioning through a quick stint in the American Hockey League and joining the Canadiens in April.Ĭaufield put up five points in his first 10 NHL games and has four important assists in the playoffs, but the 5-foot-7 dynamo showing he could hang in the pros was about more than producing offensively. That would be coach Dominique Ducharme, whose trust of Caufield developed gradually. “Caufield has been an absolute playmaker since being added to the lineup,” Watt tweeted. Montreal’s transformation was so remarkable even NFL All-Pro J.J. They are 7-1 since he joined their lineup.

There’s no doubt the Canadiens needed Caufield.