Canadiens Quick Hits: Demidov, Caufield, Newhook & Dobes
The Montreal Canadiens didn’t get the result they wanted Tuesday night, falling 3–2 to the Buffalo Sabres in Game 4, but if you’re watching this series closely, the story is starting to become less about the scoreboard and more about the young core trying to drag this team forward.
There’s a mix here of frustration and real growth. Montreal isn’t getting blown out; they’re just getting edged. And in playoff hockey, that usually means your young players are either going to sink or start figuring it out fast. Right now, it looks like a bit of both.
Here are four Canadiens quick hits from Game 4.
Quick Hit One: Ivan Demidov is driving play.
Ivan Demidov keeps doing that thing where you look up, and suddenly he’s on the scoresheet again. He picked up another assist in Game 4 and now has three assists in his last four games. What stands out isn’t just the points; it’s that he’s starting to find rhythm. Early in the playoffs, he looked a bit like a rookie adjusting to the speed. One assist in seven first-round games isn’t much. However, lately, he’s getting more involved, more dangerous, and more confident with the puck.
The big missing piece is scoring. He’s still searching for his first NHL playoff goal, sitting at 19 shots without one going in. That can get in a player’s head, but the chances are there. If Montreal pushes this series further, Demidov feels like one of those guys who could suddenly break through and change a game.
Quick Hit Two: Cole Caufield is starting to put up power-play points.
Cole Caufield is doing what Caufield does. But right now it seems to be power play or nothing. He scored again on the man advantage in Game 4, and all of his offence this postseason has come on the power play. He now has three goals and four assists, all with the extra skater. That tells you two things:
First, when Montreal gets set up, he’s still the guy you want shooting the puck. Second, at five-on-five, teams are doing a pretty good job of limiting his impact. Still, there’s a sign here that things are turning. He’s starting to get more involved offensively after a quiet stretch earlier in the series. If that five-on-five game wakes up, Montreal’s offence looks very different very quickly.
Quick Hit Three: Alex Newhook is on a surprise heater.
Alex Newhook is suddenly turning into one of the most unexpected storylines in the playoffs. He scored again in Game 4, and he’s now got five goals in his last three games. Five goals in three games is a hot streak. Before that, he had just 13 in the entire regular season.
This is the kind of run that changes a player’s reputation overnight. He’s gone from depth piece to legitimate secondary scoring threat, and right now, he’s arguably Montreal’s hottest forward. If the Canadiens are going to extend this series, Newhook isn’t just part of the story — he might be the driver.
Quick Hit Four: Jakub Dobes took the loss, but it wasn’t on him.
Jakub Dobes didn’t get the win in net, but he wasn’t the issue. He’s been steady all postseason, even in tough losses like this one. The bigger picture for Montreal is pretty simple: they’re not outclassed, they’re just waiting for enough of these young guys to hit at the same time. He’s had a solid series.
Now, if Demidov and Caufield ever fully click in the same game? That’s when this series gets really interesting.