The Hurricanes admit it: their game plan is to target Lane Hutson

Félix Forget
The Hurricanes admit it: their game plan is to target Lane Hutson
Credit: Cato Cataldo/NHLI via Getty Images

Lane Hutson gave Habs fans quite a scare on Saturday night. In overtime, he was checked by Taylor Hall… and took a while to get back on his feet.

He seemed a bit off, and even though he was able to finish his shift, we wondered if he'd suffered an injury.

The good news is that the defenseman seems fine. Martin St-Louis was reassuring yesterday, and the defenseman didn't look too bothered during practice this morning. He did note, however, that he didn't really appreciate Hall's hit.

That said, it's interesting to note that this morning, the Hurricanes talked about Hutson during their media availability. And in total, no fewer than three players (Jaccob Slavin, Jalen Chatfield, and Logan Stankoven) made similar remarks: their plan is to target Lane Hutson.

The defenseman, who is clearly respected by the Canes for his contributions on the ice, is clearly being targeted by the Habs' opponents, who make no secret of it.

It's still unusual to see the Hurricanes talking about all this so openly. It's no surprise that they're keeping a close eye on Hutson… but it's rare to hear a team insist that they're looking to hit a player from the opposing team.

So Hutson better be ready: he's not going to have an easy time of it tonight.

One has to wonder if, at some point, the Habs will need to step up to protect their star defenseman. Hutson is essential to the team's success, and sooner or later, his teammates will have to make sure they're there to respond if #48 gets roughed up.

Could that involve bringing Arber Xhekaj back into the lineup, for example? Stay tuned.


In a nutshell

– Interesting.

– Wow.

– Note to self.

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