Caufield's Shot Volume Climbing in Montreal's Playoff Push—and That Matters for Props

Cole Caufield scored his second power-play goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 3 against Buffalo on Sunday, but the raw line—2 goals in 10 games—obscures what's actually happening on the ice. The Canadiens' 51-goal regular-season scorer has been snakebitten, not broken. Early playoff rounds compressed his space and time; Caufield is now adjusting by hunting position closer to the crease and generating chances from areas where he converted most of his regular-season goals.

The variance between his elite regular-season finish and his playoff silence is partly trap and partly execution. Caufield has recorded more than two shots on goal only twice in these first 10 games—a volume problem, not a talent problem. But in Game 3, his positioning improved noticeably. He was streaking across the blue paint on multiple possessions, creating the geometry that made him dangerous all season. One near-tap-in came within millimeters of going in before he found the back of the net on the power play. The details shifted; the finishing follows.

What matters for betting: Caufield's anytime goal line—if priced around +250 or longer—has been soft because of his overall playoff drought. But his shot generation is climbing, and the power play continues to find him in scoring position. Against a Sabres team that's been penalized frequently and lacks the structural discipline of Tampa Bay, Caufield's role on the first power-play unit becomes a genuine edge. His game trending upward means the gap between what oddsmakers are pricing and what's likely to happen is widening.

Montreal is 2-1 up with real momentum, and Caufield's reintegration into high-danger chances is part of why. If his shot volume stays above two and he maintains his positioning in transition, the 51-goal scorer returns to form—not all at once, but incrementally across the remaining games. The Canadiens need him clicking for a deep run, and the evidence suggests that clock is starting to tick the right direction.

For prop bettors, Caufield's anytime goal prop carries value at conventional playoffs odds, particularly on the power play where he's already scored twice. His underlying metrics are trending sharply upward, even if the goal column hasn't caught up yet.