The CH won’t get anywhere unless Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson step up their game

Marc-Olivier Cook
The CH won’t get anywhere unless Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson step up their game
Credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The Canadiens will never make it to the second round if the team's best players continue to struggle this much.

Never. 

Here, I'm referring to two guys in particular. Cole Caufield, who's having a truly… lackluster playoff run. And Lane Hutson, who had one of the worst games of his career last night.

The defenseman may be a little too hard on himself, but he's right when he says he needs to give more. He's right when he says the team deserves better: after all, we know just how good he can be.

When Lane is in his zone, he's capable of controlling a game all on his own.

But when Lane starts overthinking things with the puck, as was the case in the first game of the series against the Sabres… it's tougher. And at least he's able to admit it.

Caufield is saying pretty much the same thing.

He wants to get back on track because we haven't seen much of him since the start of the playoffs. Cole has one goal and three assists in eight games, and he doesn't look like himself on the ice.

But for me, it's mainly his -5 rating and his total of 14 shots in eight games that worry me. We didn't necessarily expect that from a guy who just racked up 51 points in the regular season…

I can see where you're going with Lane Hutson.

Yeah, but it's just one game…

No big deal. It might just be one game, but at this point in the season, the Canadiens can't afford to have their players have bad games. Lane Hutson is seen as one of the best defensemen in the NHL, and he needs to play like it to help the team.

And it's the same damn thing for Cole Caufield. 


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