Caufield Already Sets Record
October 14, 2019
By Grant McCagg
This Caufield kid may be okay.
Two games, four goals. He already holds a Wisconsin scoring record – the first Badger to ever have multiple goal games in his first two contests. If he keeps this up the next record Caufield will break is the 59 goals scored in one NCAA season by Michigan State’s Mike Donnelly in 1985-86.
The fact that I even looked up that record gives you an indication of just how impressive Caufield already looks at the NCAA level. He is going to be difficult to stop on the power play, as he demonstrated on Friday night versus the most hyped American goalie prospect in recent memory.
Boston College freshman goalie Spencer Knight, a teammate last season of Caufield on the USNTDP team, did everything right in moving over quickly to cut off the angle and leave Caufied a miniscule window to deposit the puck.
As is often the case, Caufield found that window…over Knight’s shoulder and just under the crossbar…a perfectly placed one-timer, like we saw so often last season.
With Caufield’s ability to find open spots for his lethal one timer and Alex Turcotte’s puck and passing skills, the former USNTDP teammates promises to create havoc on the power play throughout the season.
Caufield was dangerous in both games on the weekend, due in large part to his terrific hockey sense and anticipation. He knows where to go in the offensive zone lke few others; one is reminded of Brett Hull in that regard. He is also similar to Hull in his release, shot and accuracy. This kid is going to score goals in the NHL, and plenty of them.
Jordan Harris started his season off with a bang just like last year – scoring Northeastern’s first goal of the season on Friday night in the first of back-to-back games versus Union. Harris is playing on the left side his year, his natural position, and looked extremely solid in the game I saw on Saturday.
Harris ended the weekend with a goal and an assist, but even more importantly, demonstrated that he is going to be almost impossible to beat this season one-on-one because of his exceptional mobility and gap control. He looks like a solid bet to be an invite to the World Juniors this December for the US team.
Montreal’s other Northeastern defence prospect Jayden Struble did not suit up on the weekend as he is still nursing a groin injury.
Brett Stapley has started this season in the Denver coach’s doghouse. Suspended for the first game of the year for an off-ice incident, Stapley returned to the lineup on the weekend as a spare forward on Denver’s fourth line.
The Everett Silvertips acquired center Cole Fonstad from the Prince Albert Raiders on Sunday in exchange for center Reece Vitelli, a second round and fourth round selection in the 2021 WHL Draft, and a conditional third round selection in the 2022 WHL Draft. Fonstad joins fellow Canadiens’ draft pick Gianni Fairbrother on an Everett team that is once again poised to make some noise in the WHL. Everett has won its division the past four years, and led by a solid defence and goaltending, the addition of Fonstad may be the missing piece up front for another division title run.
Habs prospects on Friday night –
Jacob LeGuerrier 1g 1a – he has six points in seven games.
Allan McShane 1g 1a
Cole Caufield – two power play goals
Jordan Harris – one goal
Samuel Houde 1g 1a. He is top 15 in QMJHL scoring.
Cam Hillis 1 goal, third star
Rafael Harvey-Pinard scored his first goal of the season on Sunday, Houde got an assist on the goal.