Canadiens Highlights: Caufield Hits 50 In Violent Playoff Preview
Eric Bolte-Imagn Images The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, in a potential first-round preview between two clubs that do not shy away from demonstrating their hatred for each other. Between the fights, slashes, and ugly plays, Habs sniper Cole Caufield scored his 50th goal of the year, power forward Juraj Slafkovsky scored his 30th, and the Canadiens secured a very important 2-1 win versus the Bolts. Let’s dive into the highlights!
Throwing Jabs It was a low-event first period, all things considered. A little more than half of the frame was played at 5v5, which means the bevy of powerplays led to very few scoring opportunities. It was akin to a pair of heavyweight boxers feeling each other out in the first round of a championship fight.
Or, perhaps more accurately, the first round of a backyard brawl, the kind that would end up on VHS, sold at bootleg markets in the 1990s. Either way, the first period represented the calm before the proverbial Darude Sandstorm. Half A Century The second period featured less than eight minutes of even-strength play, but it was enough for Caufield to find the back of the net for the 50th time this season.
It should be noted that Caufield’s 50 goals do not include a single empty-net marker. In fact, Caufield has not padded his career totals with a single empty-net goal, but I digress. Appropriately, Slafkovsky and Nick Suzuki provided the assists on the scoring play.
COLE CAUFIELD IS A 50-GOAL SCORER 🚨🔥 pic. twitter. com/WXR9G2TFyF — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 10, 2026 Throwing Haymakers Even before the violence took centre stage, it was quite clear the Habs and Bolts did not need much encouragement in the physical department.