MONTREAL -- Cole Caufield dropped to his knees, pumped his fist, then looked up towards the heavens and mouthed a few words.
It was as if he was saying, “This one’s for you,” to his dear friend, the late Johnny Gaudreau.
The 23-year-old didn't reveal what he said afterward. He let his actions to do the speaking for him.
The Montreal Canadiens forward had just scored what would be the only goal of the evening in a 1-0 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the always-raucous Bell Centre on Wednesday in the season opener for both teams.
Now, here he was, the building going bonkers after he’d scored on the power play at 7:48 of the first period. Making the moment that much more significant: It was the first regular-season game in which he donned Gaudreau’s familiar No. 13.
“It feels good to get one on the PP, 5-on-5, whatever,” he said afterward. “Pretty pumped to get the win.”
On a night that featured Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault stopping 48 Toronto shots to hand the Maple Leafs their first shutout loss since Nov. 20, 2021, it was Caufield who proved to be the difference maker on the scoreboard. Given that both teams wore decals on their helmets honoring the memory of Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, how fitting.
Johnny and Matthew died Aug. 29 when they were struck by a car while riding bicycles at home in Salem County, New Jersey. Johnny, who played 11 seasons in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames, was 31. Matthew, who played professionally for five seasons in the American Hockey League, ECHL and Sweden, was 29.
Less than a week after their funeral on Sept. 9, Caufield posted on social media that he would be switching his number from No. 22 to No. 13 in tribute to Gaudreau.
“Getting to play with your hero is something that most people only dream of,” Caufield wrote on Instagram. “I was lucky enough to be Johnny’s teammate this past summer (at the 2024 IIHF World Championship) and it didn’t take long to realize how great of a person he was. He was the most welcoming, genuine, and funniest guy I have ever met.
“He was someone everyone gravitated towards and I took every chance I could to be around him. Not only was he an amazing hockey player and teammate, but was down to earth and truly cared about every person he encountered.”
In the end, Caufield wore the No. 13 on his back, on his helmet and in his heart. As such, it was the perfect ending to a special night.
For Craig Berube, not so much.
Before the puck was dropped on his regular-season debut as Maple Leafs coach, Berube had to deal with the fact that No. 1 goalie Joseph Woll would not be available after the 26-year-old experienced lower body tightness during practice on Tuesday. The ailment meant that Anthony Stolarz got the start against the Canadiens while goalie Dennis Hildeby was recalled from Toronto of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis.
Woll’s injury history is a disturbing trend, not to mention a familiar one.
The 26-year-old signed a three-year, $10.98 million contract with Toronto ($3.66 million average annual value) on July 1 that begins next season. He went 12-11-1 with a 2.94 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in 2023-24, when he missed more than two months because of a high ankle sprain. He also missed Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Boston Bruins with an undisclosed injury.
Stolarz signed a two-year, $5 million contract ($2.5 million AAV) with Toronto on July 3. The 30-year-old was 16-7-2 with a League-leading 2.03 GAA and .925 save percentage (minimum 25 games) for the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers last season.
It’s only one game but he certainly gave a glimpse that those impressive numbers were no fluke, even if he came out on the short end of what proved to be an epic goalie battle. Indeed, Montembeault and the Canadiens ended Toronto’s 252-game run (including playoffs) of scoring at least one goal, the third-longest such streak in NHL history.
“It was exciting, for sure,” Stolarz said. “As a goalie, you appreciate that. Hats off to ‘Monty.’ He played a heck of a game and made some big saves.
“As a goalie, you’re looking at the other end, watching him make those saves. And you kind of have to bear down and try your best to match him because he was elite tonight.”
Aside from being perturbed at the five minor penalties the Maple Leafs took, Berube said there were some positives that came out of the loss.
“A lot of good things, a lot of shots,” he said. “But I thought the execution was off, whether it was a shot or the passing a little bit, it wasn’t clean enough.”
Things don’t get easier for the Maple Leafs, who meet the New Jersey Devils in Newark on Thursday with coach Sheldon Keefe, who was fired by Toronto in the offseason, behind the opposing bench.
“We just have to be ready for their push early on,” Toronto forward Mitch Marner said, adding that facing Keefe was not really on his mind.
“It’s just another game,” he said.
For Cole Caufield on Wednesday, it was anything but that.
