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Did Quinn keep Kakko & Lafreniere from being as good as Cole Caufield?

By Steve Paulus

Apr 11, 2021; Uniondale, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) awaits a face-off against the New York Islanders during the third period at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 11, 2021; Uniondale, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) awaits a face-off against the New York Islanders during the third period at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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MONTREAL, QC – JUNE 07: Erik Gustafsson #32 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates his goal with teammates Nick Suzuki #14, Cole Caufield #22, Tyler Toffoli #73 and Corey Perry #94 against the Winnipeg Jets during the first period in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on June 7, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC – JUNE 07: Erik Gustafsson #32 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates his goal with teammates Nick Suzuki #14, Cole Caufield #22, Tyler Toffoli #73 and Corey Perry #94 against the Winnipeg Jets during the first period in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on June 7, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

The playoffs

Dominique Ducharme took some heat when he  benched Caufield for the first two playoff games against Toronto.  He finally made the lineup in Game Three, replacing an injured Eric Staal.  Since getting back on the ice he’s been unstoppable, averaging 15:43 minutes of ice time,  He hasn’t scored a goal, but he has played well in all three zones and is showing his skill as a playmaker.

He assisted on Nick Suzuki’s overtime goal in Game Six against Toronto, on a give-and-go.

He followed that with a beautiful assist again on a pass to Suzuki in Game Three of the Winnipeg series.


So far in the nine playoff games  he has had 34 shot attempts while notching four assists including the series winner against Winnipeg.

So, how does that compare to the Rangers’ introduction of their young stars?

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