With a chance to occupy a playoff spot on the line, the Montreal Canadiens returned to Bell Centre ice on Monday night to take on the Vancouver Canucks. Overcoming a two-goal deficit in the process, the Habs took a 5-4 overtime thriller in front of their fans, and at least for the time being, they are a playoff team. How long that lasts is up to them as much as the teams around them, but they have put themselves in the mix, just as General Manager Kent Hughes had hoped ahead of this season.
Putting aside the Cinderella story that would be this team making the playoffs, Lane Hutson also took the lead in NHL rookie scoring, and just might be the frontrunner for the Calder trophy.
This goal required a smidge of puck luck, but it was fitting for him to get it when he had set up a few other chances that didn’t go. The three points he ended the night with were honestly a tad lower than he deserved, as he was routinely making dangerous slot passes that have a tendency to end in goals. It is one of Hutson’s favourite things to do – draw attention to himself as he moves deeper into the offensive zone, then exploiting that attention by finding an open teammate.
Case in point…
There is a ton of hockey left this season, during which both Macklin Celebrini and Matvei Michkov certainly won’t be resting on their laurels. Hutson’s case will be compelling, however, as he’s assumed a massive role on the Habs’ blue line as a rookie, and will be a key component to that aforementioned Cinderella story if this team sneaks into the playoffs. Even if they don’t, he should be a finalist, but if he helps drag this team to a place that nobody expected them to be, it should seal the deal.
Regardless of any future hardware, we’re witnessing something special here. There were always questions about Hutson’s size, his defensive acumen, and his ability to handle an NHL schedule as a rookie. Last night’s game was a particularly physical affair, and he was arguably the best player on the ice for either team. He’s answered most, if not all of the questions about his game, and has become a legitimate top-pair defender in the NHL as a rookie.
Winning a trophy that hasn’t been won by a member of the organization since Ken Dryden in 1971 would just be the cherry on top. Of far greater importance to this organization and its rebuild is the fact that Lane Hutson has arrived as a legitimate difference maker.
The scary thing for other teams should be the fact that he’s only getting better.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ve got another back-to-back coming up, but the team will get a few days off first, so we’ll return for the first half this Friday night against the Washington Capitals.
