Why Size Doesn't Matter: Montreal Canadiens' Suzuki and Caufield's Playoff Success

2023-06-09 12:00:16

John Scott never had his tongue in his pocket. He never hesitated before speaking his mind. Sometimes it honors him, but sometimes he misses opportunities to shut up.

And with his latest statement regarding Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, the second option applies. Indeed, the six-foot-eight giant believes the two are very talented, but he’s not sure what kind of success they’ll have in the playoffs due to their size, among other things.

As if that changed anything…

With Caufield signed long term, Montreal has locked up its core.

Their size? 5’11 » and 5’7″.

Can this core bring the Canadiens to playoff success? #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/U9pvjS0uhj

— Dropping the Gloves (@dropping_gloves) June 8, 2023

One detail he probably missed is that Caufield and Suzuki have already had playoff success, despite being only 22 and 23 years old, respectively. In 2021, they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals and they were very important factors in their team’s success.

At 5-foot-11 (Suzuki) and 5-foot-7 (Caufield), the two forwards who are in Montreal to stay have won three series each. Suzuki even eliminated the Penguins in the 2019-20 playoffs, but that three-of-five wasn’t officially a “playoff.”

And at 6-foot-8, John Scott hasn’t won…a streak in his entire career. Even better, the giant has played four playoff games in his entire career, all four in the same year in Chicago. That year (2011-2012), the Blackhawks were swept. To recap, then, in 286 NHL games, or 10 seasons, Scott hasn’t scored a single point in four playoff games.

Suzuki and Caufield, them…

In short, the size is not very important if you ask me. I don’t think Martin St-Louis’ 5-foot-8 stopped him from winning the Cup in 2004…

“I’m not sure how much playoff success you can expect when a core player is this small” pic.twitter.com/cfmB0YQoaN

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 8, 2023

Si Suzuki and Caufield, aka, the Montreal Core, are small, the others like Kirby Dach, Josh Anderson and the big defense make up for the lack of physicality. But then again, in 2023, greatness is such an irrelevant factor…

And this, even if the game goes up a notch in the playoffs.