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Lane Hutson’s shifts are too long

 Matthew Garcia
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Lane Hutson’s shifts are too long
Credit: Capture d'écran / Screenshot

Yesterday, let’s face it, the Habs’ defense was put to the test against the Maple Leafs in what turned out to be a 2-1 defeat.

The Habs knew what they were doing when they sent six youngsters and an AHL goaltender into the fray against the veteran Maple Leafs. We clearly wanted to see what the youngsters had in them, and that’s why the veterans were on the forward line.

Defensively, Jakub Dobes undoubtedly scored the most points. My colleague Maxime Truman warned you at the start of the week: he’s one prospect we need to keep an eye on…

But what about the defenders themselves?

Arber Xhekaj and David Reinbacher didn’t have their best game. It was tough at times for them – especially the Sheriff – and even for Adam Engstrom, it wasn’t always easy.

Justin Barron? He didn’t do badly.

But Jayden Struble and Lane Hutson were probably the two who looked the best. A guy like Struble, who was very reliable defensively, reminds us why for weeks last year, it was impossible to get him out of the lineup.

That said, it’s really Lane Hutson who gets all the attention. The puck always finds his stick and let’s just say he doesn’t play hot potato when he has the disc.

That’s how he’ll find his place in the NHL… as early as next month.

Yesterday, he wasn’t placed in easy conditions. He was playing with Justin Barron, who is not Mr. Defensive. He was playing without David Savard against a big club – and he was overused. The power play wasn’t dangerous alongside him. He was used on the right at some point.

But he responded well in his 25 minutes and 47 seconds of play.

He was used en masse and what bothered François Gagnon, who broached the subject at the Antichambre after the game, was the fact that the defenseman’s presences were stretching.

In the journalist’s eyes, Hutson’s game was excellent, but he’ll have to learn to shorten his presences to avoid being trapped at the end of the regular season shift . This is something Stéphane Robidas will have to work on.

Of course, you have to take these games with a grain of salt, since the first preparatory games aren’t exactly Stanley Cup Final-worthy line-ups.

But the effort must be noted. And at least what Lane Hutson did wasn’t for lack of effort – on the contrary.

An Arber Xhekaj, who seemed to think he had nothing to prove in yesterday’s game, could have taken a little more inspiration from Hutson by playing with a little more passion on the ice.

If he wants big minutes, he’ll have to go out and get them.

Because even if Hutson has things to work on (François Gagnon’s comment is quite true), the fact remains that he gave what he had to give against Toronto.

But it’s not all bad news for the Habs. At the very least, no Habs defender did this:


Overtime

– The Habs are deeper than they used to be.

– The club may deny it, but…

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