When 13 plus 14 equal one

MONTREAL – Ever heard the expression, “Brother from another mother”?

It’s used to describe a strong friendship. And if we had to pick a Habs duo who best fit the description for the saying, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki would be an unmistakable choice.

If you’ve ever been around the two buds, you’d know their personalities are different, with Suzuki’s quiet and reserved way of being contrasting Caufield’s energy and extroverted nature.

But – grammar lesson incoming – far from being antonyms, the two friends are more like adjectives that complement each other in the perfect way.

With time, the two Canadiens forwards have built much more than just a friendship. Their on-ice chemistry has quickly become captivating and, now more than ever, the 13-14 duo have been keeping us on the edge of our seats.

What is it about this pair that makes them such a big threat on the ice? Let’s take a look back at Suzuki and Caufield’s progress since joining the League.

[Editor’s note: all stats as of April 10, 2025]

Suzuki, a quiet force

In any sport, playing with pizzazz gets the attention. After all, the eye gravitates naturally to that which shines. Taking a look at the bigger picture, however, might give you a better appreciation for what someone like Suzuki can do that might otherwise fly under the radar.

Simply put, the London, ON native is a complete skater. His coach agrees.

“I think he’s doing everything,” affirmed Martin Saint-Louis of his first-line center on March 15, following a tight 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers. “He’s playing big minutes. [He handles] tough matchups. He’s been very good offensively, but he’s been very responsible defensively, too.”

While consistency and responsibility are less recognized as qualities than explosiveness and speed, No. 14 is standing out in his own way, especially with his vision and his hands. A generator of countless scoring chances, some of them spectacular, it’s no surprise that Suzuki is tied for the team lead in assists with Lane Hutson with 58 helpers this season.

Given that everything is a simple matter of perspective, although he’s often underestimated because of his style of play, Suzuki is sixth among centers this season with 86 points – a new personal best. He’s also the top point-getter among players aged 25 and under. The 34 points (13G, 21A) he’s recorded in 22 games since the 4 Nations Face-Off are proof of how much he’s contributed to the team’s recent success.

With an increase in production in the goals, assists, and points columns in the four years following his first year in the League, in 2019-20, his constant progression is even more evidence of how high his ceiling could be.

And, despite his less exuberant nature, Suzuki still knows how to turn on the shine when it counts the most, whether he’s sealing a win in overtime – he’s scored five goals in extra time this season, tied for second in the NHL – or beating a goalie with a shootout fake to send it home.

Let’s not forget, also, how Suzuki has been leading the way night after night – literally. Because since Oct. 3, 2019, the Habs captain has played 451 games without interruption. Only two active NHL players, Brent Burns (920) and Ryan Suter (533), have streaks longer than his.

If you’re looking for stability, look no further than No. 14.

Caufield, with a scorer’s DNA

When Caufield arrived to lend a hand to the Habs for their 2021 playoff run, his scoring talents – well-known in the NCAA – were quickly put to use by his new club. His first NHL goal was a memorable one: the winning tally in overtime against the Ottawa Senators on May 1, 2021.

While the next two years were somewhat sullied by a dry spell to start the 2021-22 campaign, followed by an injury that forced him to miss the end of 2022-23, Caufield never really lost the touch that makes him stand out in the crowd.

In 2023-24, the winger led his team with seven game-winning goals, and he already has eight this season with four games left to play.

Having hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in the NHL, the Mosinee, WI now has 37 on the season. If he manages to hit 40, it would be the first time in more than 30 years for the franchise. Vincent Damphousse was the last player to do so in bleu-blanc-rouge in 1993-94.

Obviously, just having a good shot isn’t enough in the NHL, and Caufield continues to improve every aspect of his play.

“If there's one thing I've learned, you don't really have the puck on your stick that much for an NHL game, so how are you going to help the guys with the puck when you don't have it?" Caufield told NHL.com in November. "Arriving to the spot at the right time to help out, transitioning quickly to the defensive side of the puck, being harder to play against, winning more battles ... these are all things me and coach [Martin St. Louis] have talked about.”

For St-Louis, Caufield’s efforts are already yielding results.

“He’s scoring goals, but what I like from Cole is that he’s now playing a full game,” praised the head coach in an early-season press conference. “He’s not just scoring goals; he’s playing both ends of the ice.”

Dynamic duo, dynamic team

Last season, Suzuki and Caufield were responsible for a bit more than a quarter of Montreal’s goals, netting 61 of the team’s 232 total tallies. At this point in 2024-25, their percentage is more or less the same, as they’ve lit the lamp 65 times out of a team total of 234. If we count goals where they each assisted on the other’s, they’ve collaborated that way 35 times.

It’s undeniable that their offensive contributions are crucial for the Habs – and entertaining for the crowds, too.

Each night, expectations are high for the Canadiens’ first line, which is completed by a young Juraj Slafkovsky who is in full development mode. Despite the pressure, the three musketeers try to set the tone and lead their troops in the right direction.

But, in order to win, everyone has to give it their all. If the current campaign has revealed one thing, it’s that when each of them excels, the Canadiens can keep pace with – and even dominate – the elite teams in the League.

After the likes of Brendan Gallagher, David Savard, Josh Anderson, Mike Matheson, and other veterans have shown the way to their less experienced colleagues, it’s now the youth movement, led by Suzuki, that appears to have taken the torch for the future.

The effort is there. The team is in the mix. Now, we wait to see if the 2024-25 season will include a trip to the playoffs.