Diminutive winger is seventh within the NHL with 105 photographs, however he has solely seven objectives, which means lower than 7 per cent of his photographs are moving into.
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For no less than a month, it was the elephant within the room. A diminutive elephant, maybe, however pachyderm all the identical.
Cole Caufield’s shot, one of many quickest, loudest snipes within the enterprise, had gone as quiet because the blessed silence after you mute Ron MacLean.
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Nobody needed to pounce on Caufield, one of the common gamers within the historical past of the franchise — particularly not when he’s getting back from shoulder surgical procedure. However after a six-game scoreless streak, there’s no avoiding it.
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“Cole Caufield,” mentioned the fan generally known as Jaykeeper on X (previously Twitter), “is scoring objectives like he’s being coached by Dom Ducharme.”
It could be extra of a priority if Caufield wasn’t getting his possibilities, however as Stu Cowan identified after Sunday evening’s 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators, Caufield remains to be firing away on the standard clip and ranks seventh within the NHL with 105 photographs.
Nonetheless, with seven objectives on the season, Caufield is on tempo for a 21-goal season, roughly half what the Canadiens hoped for from a man who might snap a wrist shot by means of a coin slot.
Caufield had 9 photographs in Buffalo, however solely two towards Nashville — however it’s not the quantity, it’s the taking pictures proportion. Final season, it was an untenable 16.5 per cent. This yr, Caufield is down to six.7 per cent.
Is it the shoulder that put a untimely finish to what would absolutely have been a 40-goal marketing campaign final season, when Caufield had 26 in 46 video games? Or another, unnoticed issue?
As Cowan famous, Martin St. Louis isn’t involved about Caufield’s manufacturing. “He’s going to attain objectives once more … we all know he’s going to attain plenty of objectives. However not on the worth of being a extra full participant.”
Highway to the Cup
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Caufield’s droop wouldn’t draw a lot consideration on a workforce loaded with scorers. It wouldn’t draw a lot consideration if Josh Anderson wasn’t caught on a single 190-foot aim for the season, regardless of these magnificent, swooping rushes that crumble within the zone like a 1967 VW Beetle held along with chewing gum and baling wire.
The Habs have hassle scoring. Caufield scores. These items at all times even out and they’re going to once more. (He mentioned, hopefully.)
One for Nancy and the Crew: “The important thing switch for the Columbus Crew, the transfer that turned a workforce that missed the playoffs within the earlier two years into the 2023 MLS champions, was the seize of the top coach,” wrote the Guardian.
That may be Wilfried Nancy, the CF Montréal coach that Joey Saputo didn’t need. Saturday afternoon, Nancy took the Crew to glory with a 2-1 victory over defending champion Los Angeles FC.
And he did it in the identical style he reworked Montreal, going fiercely on the assault, enjoying what the Guardian known as “effervescent soccer.”
Alongside the best way, Nancy grew to become the primary Black coach to win the MLS championship, an amazing private achievement for him. Given his success right here, it’s important to suppose that Montreal is likely to be staging its second championship parade in as many months if solely the proprietor had the frequent sense to rent the most effective and keep out of the best way.
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Associated Tales
Toronto, you had been performed: It was a two-popcorn potboiler, a B-movie farce that was entertaining even in the event you knew the result earlier than the opening credit began rolling.
Ultimately, in fact, Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers simply as he was certain to do from Day 1. He signed for a mere US$700 million over 10 years, which works out to $949.38 million Canadian at in the present day’s alternate price.
Pause, for a second, and consider the havoc which may have resulted at Rogers if Ohtani had signed in Toronto, with extra mass layoffs, extra jacked-up costs for customers and, presumably, orders from above for the Jays to dump wage elsewhere to compensate.
However it was going to occur. The Toronto Blue Jays had been going to land essentially the most sought-after free agent within the historical past of sought-after free-agents. Oh sure they had been.
The pitch-and-hit celebrity was going to go away his house in Southern California, transfer a further six-hour flight away from Japan and a pair thousand miles from the seashores of L.A. and switch down one of many two most recognizable manufacturers within the recreation with the intention to play for a second-tier franchise run by a few company yes-men and a buffoon within the dugout.
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Oh sure he was.
Oh no he wasn’t.
Ultimately, there was the preposterous, irresponsible story of the aircraft that was carrying Ohtani to Toronto, adopted by the inevitable disappointment when it turned out to be some Shark Tank character as a substitute.
The sharks had been working right here alright, starting with Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, who took an enormous chew out of the gullible media in Hogtown.
Heroes: Juraj Slafkovsky, Mike Matheson, Nick Suzuki, Brendan Gallagher, Jayden Struble, Jake Evans, Cayden Primeau, Christine Sinclair, Hector Camacho &&&& final however not least, Wilfried Nancy.
Zeros: The Blue Jays, Mark Shapiro, Ross Atkins, Nez Balelo, Jon Morosi, Shi Davidi, Sportsnet, Jon Rahm, LIV Golf, Joey Saputo, Claude Brochu, David Samson &&&& final however not least, Jeffrey Loria.
Now and Without end.
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