Eight games into the playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens' top line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky have combined for just one even-strength goal and one-even strength point.
They've got a 51-goal scorer. A Selke Trophy finalist who put up 101 points. And a No. 1-overall pick who scored 30 goals and 73 points in the regular season.
But eight games into the playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens' top line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky have combined for just one even-strength goal and one-even strength point.
And while it didn't hurt the team in a first-round series win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the lack of production is starting to catch up to the Habs, who lost 4-2 to the Buffalo Sabres in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal on Wednesday.
"The guys have to find a way to score," said Suzuki. "We’ve got to keep going to the net and find a dirty one."
To his credit, Suzuki scored a goal in Wednesday's loss. But it came on the power play. It's the one area where Montreal's star players have found any success so far in the post-season.
Slafkovsky, who has three goals and an assist, has scored all four of his points on the power play. The same goes for Caufield, who has managed one goal and four points on the power play. Suzuki, who is the only player who has scored an even-strength goal and picked up an even-strength assist, has five power play points.
On the plus side, Montreal's power play has scored six goals, which is third-most in the playoffs. However, the team has managed just 12 goals at 5-on-5, which is tied with Carolina for the lowest among the remaining teams.
In other words, you cannot rely just on the power play to win games. Nor can you rely on just the third line, which has been Montreal's best line in the playoffs, to produce offense.
In the playoffs, your best players need to be the best players on the ice. And so far, that hasn't been the case, particularly where Caufield is concerned.
A runner-up for the Rocket Richard Trophy, Caufield scored only 11 of his 51 goals on the power play in the regular season. He also didn't go more than two games without a point in the regular season.
But in the playoffs, the diminutive winger has been rendered invisible. He only has one goal in eight games. And he has now been held without a point in the past four games.
"A guy like that, he scores 50 goals in the regular season, obviously he just doesn’t have the bounces right now," said Kirby Dach, who leads the team with three even-strength goals. "But he’s a heck of a hockey player. The more he shoots, the more he’s going to give himself a chance to go in. We’re not worried about it at all. He’s a special player. We’re lucky to have him on the team."
Blame the bounces, if you want. Or the defensive match-ups. Or maybe the playoffs are just too physical for the 5-foot-8 and 175-pound winger to find open space. Either way, Caufield needs to find the back of the net if Montreal expects to advance past Buffalo.
"He’s been playing hard. I don’t think he’s too frustrated," said Suzuki. "Obviously, there’s moments in games where you get frustrated with yourself. I thought he’s done a good job of continuing to play. He’s a really good player. He’ll find his moment to score, for sure."
It's not just the Canadiens who believe that Caufield is capable of breaking out.
As good of a game that the Sabres played on Wednesday, coach Lindy Ruff warned against the idea that Buffalo had figured out a way to silence Montreal's best shooters. After all, Caufield, Suzuki and Slafkovsky combined for nine shots. That's nine times they theoretically could have scored.
"I think we can be a lot better. That includes taking time and space away," said Ruff. "They’re a good team. They just beat a good team. That top line is — Slafkovsky is one helluva player. And then you’ve got a 50-goal scorer on that line at the same time, so maybe they will generate a little bit more."
They better. If not, this series could be over pretty quick.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.