The Canadiens players come to Lane Hutson’s defense

William Simoneau
The Canadiens players come to Lane Hutson’s defense
Credit: Cato Cataldo/NHLI via Getty Images

In a series against the Carolina Hurricanes where the intensity keeps rising, young Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson has become a constant target.

The facts are clear: he is the most-hit player since the start of the playoffs, with a mounting number of physical hits beginning to take its toll on his time on the ice.

According to advanced statistics for the series, Hutson has taken 61 hits since the start of the playoffs, a league-high.

Worse still, in just three games against the Hurricanes, he has been sent into the boards 17 times, not counting several other unsuccessful attempts. This relentless pressure perfectly illustrates Carolina's game plan: to neutralize him through physical pressure.

But in the Montreal locker room, there's no question of leaving their young defenseman alone to face this storm. His teammates quickly came to his defense publicly.

Joe Veleno pointed out that mistakes are part of the game, noting that Hutson “has won us so many games this season” and that he is already one of the most well-rounded defensemen in the league despite his young age. TVA Sports ran a story on it.

Alexandre Carrier added to the praise by highlighting his courage, describing him as a “gamer” willing to take hits to set up big plays.

Even Kaiden Guhle emphasized collective responsibility, noting that the team needs to better respond to this pressure rather than letting Hutson absorb the hits alone.

Coach Martin St-Louis, for his part, acknowledges the opposing team's strategy but believes his group can better protect their defenseman by slowing down zone entries and reducing situations where Hutson becomes an isolated target.

In such a tight series, the team's response could well become just as important as individual talent. And in Montreal, the solidarity around Hutson already seems firmly established.


In a nutshell

– Offer matched… or almost.

– First in the group.

– Victory!

– Defensemen to watch.

– Great goal!

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