Cole Caufield Ends Drought With Power-Play Dagger as Canadiens Pummel Sabres 6-2 in Game 3
Montreal just took control of this series, and Cole Caufield made sure everyone in the Bell Centre knew it. The Canadiens' 51-goal scorer snapped a five-game scoring drought with a go-ahead power-play goal Sunday night, leading Montreal to a dominant 6-2 victory over Buffalo in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal. The win puts the Canadiens up 2-1 in the best-of-seven matchup.
Caufield Finally Breaks Through
Caufield hadn't lit the lamp since Game 5 against Tampa Bay in the first round. That's a long time for a guy who potted 51 goals in the regular season to watch from the sidelines. But in the second period, with the game still within reach at 1-1, Lane Hutson found him on a power play, driving through the left circle and setting up Caufield for the go-ahead marker at 6:05. He also chipped in an assist, but that power-play goal was the dagger that cracked the game open.
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Caufield wasn't alone in finding the back of the net. Alex Newhook went off, tallying twice including an empty-netter, and the guy who buried the Game 7 series-winner in Tampa showed up when it mattered most. Juraj Slafkovsky potted his fourth power-play goal of the postseason. Zachary Bolduc and Kirby Dach also scored, with Hutson racking up two assists. Jakub Dobes was rock solid in net, making 26 saves to shut down Buffalo's attack.
The Sabres got goals from Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, but it wasn't nearly enough. Thompson said his Game 2 performance was an "absolute disaster," and while he got one early, it wasn't enough to keep Montreal's offense in check. Alex Lyon made 31 saves but took the loss.
Game 4 is coming up, and Montreal has all the momentum. The Canadiens just showed they can win at home with speed and depth all over the roster. Buffalo needs to figure out how to slow down Montreal's power play and find more offensive consistency or this series could get away from them quick.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.