Suzuki explains late-game choice not to pass to Cole Caufield

Late in Montreal's 4-1 win over Tampa Bay on March 31, Suzuki scored into the empty net himself instead of sliding it over to Cole Caufield. That mattered because Caufield is still chasing the 50-goal mark.

The cleanest explanation is the one captains usually give without saying much at all. Suzuki saw the lane, took the sure goal, and put the game away before anything weird could happen. That's not selfish hockey. That's straight-line hockey.

Fans noticed it right away because Caufield has 45 goals in 71 games and sits within range of a number that still means something in Montreal. Fifty isn't just a round total here. It's history, pressure, and a headline every night.

Suzuki knows that better than anyone because he's been feeding Caufield all year. Suzuki has 64 assists and 88 points in 72 games, and a huge chunk of Montreal's offense still runs through that top line.

So this wasn't about chemistry breaking for one shift. If anything, it showed how locked in Suzuki is on the bigger picture as the Canadiens push toward the finish line.

The standings give that choice more weight. Montreal is 43-21-10 with 96 points, and those are not garbage-time games anymore. St. Louis has this club playing for every inch.

That's why the no-pass landed the way it did. In a loose game in November, maybe you force the feed and try to hand Caufield a free one. In late March, protecting 2 points beats chasing a feel-good clip.

It also says something about Suzuki's wiring. He's chasing his own mark too, sitting 12 points shy of 100, yet he still made the safest play available instead of trying to script a moment.

Caufield will get more looks anyway. He scored once against Tampa, has 217 shots on goal, and remains Montreal's best pure finisher by volume. The chances aren't drying up.

And let's be honest, Caufield probably understood it the second the puck crossed the line. Players talk about numbers, but benches care about wins first when the room feels it has something to protect.

St. Louis has pushed that standard for a while. The Canadiens are getting offense from their stars, but the real change is that their top guys are making hard, simple plays at the right time.

So no, Suzuki didn't ignore Caufield's 50-goal chase. He just treated that empty-net touch like a captain should. He ended the game, banked the 2 points, and trusted that Caufield's next goal will come soon enough.