If This Backhand Snipeshow Is Any Indication, Cole Caufield Is Going To Rule These World Juniors
We finally got a chance to see Team USA play in their warm-up game against Finland last night before the WJC gets going on Christmas Day. And if last night's performance was any indication, Rogers Place in Edmonton is going to have to buy some replacement batteries for the goal light because Cole Caufield is going to be setting that shit off constantly.
Caufield heads into the tournament as one of the best pure goal scorers. I've mentioned in the Preview Blogs about how he holds the record for most goals scored in USNTDP history, passing guys like Kessel and Kane and Matthews along the way. But the thing about goal scorers in a tournament like this is that they can either get really hot, or they can get really cold. Cole Caufield made his first World Juniors appearance last year and he put up a goose egg in 5 games. But now that he's a year older and this is his 2nd go around at the tournament? Well I just hope he brought an apron with him to Edmonton because he's getting all sorts of saucy in the kitchen.
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Some sick puck protection and edge work from Jake Sanderson at the blueline. Fires the puck down the wall, Caufield catches it behind the net on a roll, flips it to his backhand, power move to the front of the net, backhand snipe the pipe, goalie has that sweet sweet sound of rubber clanging off of iron piercing through his ear. What a goal. What a player.
And as Jim Hughson alluded to, Caufield also tucked one away earlier in that shift.
2 goals 1 shift. Is that good?
Caufield, Lundell, Raymond, Holtz, Chinakhov, Dach, Perfetti, Zegras. I'd put good money on those 8 guys all finishing top 10 in points this tournament. And speaking of Zegras…
2 more sleeps.
And just in case you missed them…Group A Preview
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Group B Preview