EXCLUSIVE: Canadiens star Caufield on upsetting Tampa Bay, Slafkovsky's form & more

[p][b]Only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mackinnon-nathan/dhMyX3sE/"]Nathan MacKinnon[/a] scored more goals than you this season, but you led in game-winning goals. Do you feel like a true superstar now, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/caufield-cole/OMWDW69Q/"]Cole[/a]?[/b][/p][p]"No, not really. It's just been one year. I think there's stuff to build on, off that. As a team, overall, we like how our season went. Obviously, with a tough division and tough opponents every night. But, this is the time of the year when we want to accomplish the real goals."[/p][p][b]At 173 centimetres, you're one of the smallest players in the NHL. Does it help that your coach, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/st-louis-martin/0rALzLUP/"]Martin St. Louis[/a], is probably the best smaller-statured player in history?[/b][/p][p]"Yeah, obviously, what he's done in his career is unbelievable. His knowledge and experience that he brings to us every day are something like no other. I think everyone benefits from having a guy like that, who's gone through everything.[/p][p]"Just his brain, and how smart he is - he makes the whole game a little bit simpler and easier. He always gets us fired up but helps us handle our emotions a bit better, too."[/p][video alt="Cole Caufiled speaks to Flashscore" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="48d1b444-abe3-4c92-ab2b-2bb0de3b4a7e" id="88e0d149-950a-4d3e-beae-5a7e290de49f" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tampa-bay-lightning/YVE3zk1c/"]Tampa Bay[/a] are one of the best teams. How did you manage to knock them out in the first round of the playoffs?[/b][/p][p]"I think that's just the way our team's been built over the last couple of years. We've had a lot of down times against those guys in the last couple of years, and they're a team we've been chasing. Obviously, it feels good to beat them in a seven-game series; every team's hungry the next year for more.[/p][p]"I like where we're at. Obviously, it was a big series win, but we've moved on to this team ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/buffalo-sabres/UobjtMIP/"]Buffalo[/a]) now, and we've just got to keep it going."[/p][p][b]Was it obvious during the series how special these games were for your coach, facing his former club? And have you ever seen such emotions from a coach as he showed in the locker room after Game 7?[/b][/p][p]"They were awesome. Obviously, there are ties with playing there for him, but I know we all wanted that victory too. Just those types of emotions at the time of year, it really truly means so much to everybody."[/p][embed guid="f67983e1-bf8c-4e73-a42b-b28c99653702" url="https://x.com/Sportsnet/status/2049688006450106734?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]What does goaltender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dobes-jakub/0W5FnU82/"]Jakub Dobes[/a] bring to the team? What kind of player is he on the ice and in the locker room?[/b][/p][p]"Good laughs, and wins as of late. I think, obviously, he's been great all season. He's a great guy to be around, and truly he works his 'everything' off (laughs)."[/p][p][b]One of the players [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/montreal-canadiens/nu2G7VWc/"]Montreal[/a] will be building around in the coming years is [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/slafkovsky-juraj/ATgrbSxq/"]Juraj Slafkovsky[/a]. How do you rate him?[/b][/p][p]"He's been spectacular! I think what he does on both sides of the puck every night is probably underrated. As a team, I don't think we're anywhere near where we're at without him."[/p][image alt="Montreal's recent results" id="bd0ced5c-7609-4f01-9bd0-8dfcee5cc0e3" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="8dfc673b-0d2c-4eb0-ae94-1d7b0773a6b3" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/montreal-canadiens-nu2G7VWc/?mid=xEQHU1vA"]Follow Montreal's Game 7 against Buffalo with Flashscore![/a][/b][/p]