{"id":556496,"date":"2026-03-24T01:57:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T01:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/556496\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T01:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T01:57:08","slug":"martin-st-louis-late-game-decisions-could-cost-cole-caufield-the-rocket-richard-trophy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/556496\/","title":{"rendered":"Martin St-Louis’ late-game decisions could cost Cole Caufield the Rocket Richard Trophy"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t \"Montreal <\/p>\n

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

We’ve just learned an incredible piece of information regarding Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield.<\/p>\n

Cole Caufield is having an exceptional 43-goal season with the Montreal Canadiens without scoring a single empty-net goal.<\/p>\n

The forward is heading toward the 50-goal mark this year, and he still hasn’t scored a single empty-netter.<\/p>\n

The race for the Maurice Richard Trophy is shaping up to be thrilling until the end of the regular season, but if Caufield had managed to add a few empty-net goals, it might already be settled in his favour.<\/p>\n

And to think analysts strongly doubted his effectiveness at five-on-five just a few years ago.<\/p>\n

Right now, the player is silencing his critics with remarkably consistent offensive production. Only 10 of his goals have come on the power play.<\/p>\n

Yes, he has been very strong at even strength.<\/p>\n

Will Cole Caufield win the Maurice Richard Trophy?<\/p>\n

Journalist Anthony Martineau pointed out the most impressive stat regarding the Canadiens’ number 13.<\/p>\n

All 43 of Cole Caufield’s goals have been scored against an opposing goaltender.<\/p>\n

Even more striking, Caufield has zero empty-net goals since the start of his National Hockey League career.<\/p>\n

He has never scored an empty-net goal in his career.<\/p>\n

Head coach Martin St-Louis almost never uses him late in games to protect a lead, and while that decision is understandable, it could end up costing Caufield.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Nathan MacKinnon already has five empty-net goals among his 45 total.<\/p>\n

Goals scored against a goaltender (empty-net goals excluded) this NHL season:<\/p>\n

1: Cole Caufield (43)
2: Nathan MacKinnon (40)<\/p>\n

Yes, this situation could cost the young Canadiens forward the Maurice Richard Trophy.<\/p>\n

Losing the top goal-scorer spot because of empty-net goals would leave a bitter taste for fans.<\/p>\n

Cole Caufield, 25, has 43 goals in 68 games this season. The 5-foot-8 forward was a first-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens in 2019.<\/p>\n

Nathan MacKinnon, 30, has 45 goals this season. The 6-foot forward was selected first overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2013.<\/p>\n

Previously on Montreal Hockey Fanatics<\/p>\n

POLL<\/p>\n

4 HOURS AGO|136 ANSWERS<\/p>\n

Martin St-Louis’ late-game decisions could cost Cole Caufield the Rocket Richard Trophy<\/p>\n

Will Cole Caufield finish the season as the league’s leading goal scorer?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images We’ve just learned an incredible piece of information regarding Montreal…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":556497,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[433],"tags":[50524,49,48,10100,215596,743,48001,448,10099,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-556496","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-anthony-martineau","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-canada","11":"tag-cole-caufield","12":"tag-maurice-richard-trophy","13":"tag-montreal-canadiens","14":"tag-nathan-mackinnon","15":"tag-nhl","16":"tag-nick-suzuki","17":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}