2021 Stanley Cup Final: 4 Takeaways from Game 2, including Coleman’s magic
3. Caufield-Suzuki-Toffoli line a boost for Habs
There were plenty of players who had to up their game for the Canadiens in the wake of Game 1, but the most pressure was on the second line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Tyler Toffoli, given that they are the main drivers of this Montreal offense.
Well, they responded alright in Game 2, with all three producing arguably their best outing of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs so far, with Suzuki in particular absolutely lighting it up and emerging as one of the best players on the ice.
He finished the game with nine shots on goal, including the only goal of the game for the Habs which came in the second period. With Montreal on the power play, Suzuki used a screen to backhand the puck through traffic and through Andrei Vasilevskiy.
It was a real statement game for Suzuki who also showed his defensive prowess with a sublime hustle play to get back and halt a Nikita Kucherov breakaway attempt, which kept the Canadiens alive in the contest at the time.
Cole Caufield's (@colecaufield) parents know a good backcheck when they see one. 👏 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/5CEhTQ0a8v
— NHL (@NHL) July 1, 2021
Caufield also impressed and he had a similar highlight-reel play by charging all the way up ice to backcheck Anthony Cirelli, highlighting his defensive awareness and proving that, like Suzuki, he isn’t just an offensive juggernaut.
In all, the trio combined for 14 shots, four hits and two blocked shots while all logging over 15 minutes of total ice time, and the Canadiens will need that line firing on all cylinders in all three zones if they are to get back into this series.