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Lane Hutson didn’t play much yesterday (and that’s a good thing).

 Charles-Alexis Brisebois
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Lane Hutson didn’t play much yesterday (and that’s a good thing).
Credit: Getty Images

And how do you like the Canadiens’ week?

Clearly, the Habs haven’t exactly been playing National League powers for the past two games (Islanders and Predators), but Martin St-Louis’ men have won twice.

And the fans who show up at the Bell Centre are having a great time.

Let’s face it: the Patrik Laine effect is real. He’s scored twice in two games, and you can feel the impact he’s having on the ice and in the dressing room for the Canadiens.

The guys are happy for him – and so are the fans.

For both goals, he was fed by Lane Hutson. Hutson has yet to find the back of the net on the Bettman circuit, but he continues to prove his worth to the club’s success.

With 17 points in 26 games, he’s one of the NHL’s top rookies.

But Lane Hutson didn’t play much – for his standards – during the game, which was won 3-0 by the Habs. He played less than 17 minutes (16:36) for the first time this season.

Only Justin Barron (13:29) played less.

(Credit: NHL.com)

What should be noted, as Renaud Lavoie said this morning on BPM Sports, is that Lane Hutson touched the ice only twice after Laine’s goal.

Laine scored early in the third.

What’s interesting is that the Habs pilot didn’t punish Hutson: instead, he used his defensemen to their strengths and didn’t have to overload the American defenseman, which hasn’t always been the case this season.

Because Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble did well (they’re doing better) and the Habs were looking to protect a lead, Hutson played less. And that’s okay, at this point.

Even without Kaiden Guhle (ill), the Canadiens were able to avoid overloading Hutson. This is good news, as it means that the club’s defensive corps is doing better.

And that’s even if it was in a game against a club that’s more disorganized than disorganized.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Note that even though the Preds are low in the standings, so is the Habs. Despite their two straight wins, they’re still 30th in the NHL (or 29th for optimists using points percentage) on this Friday morning in December.

Patrik Laine can score, but he can’t work miracles. #InTheMix

But it’s not just Lane Hutson who’s the talk of the town. Several players deserve to be talked about, whether for the right reasons or the wrong ones.

So what do I take away from the game?

1. Samuel Montembeault is the Canadiens’ most important player on the power play, a unit that’s been working well this season. And yesterday, he saved his teammates’ butts on a couple of occasions.

Monty leads the league in shutouts (3), and since learning that he’s made his mark with Team Canada, he’s been excellent. But I’m not saying that to play politics… #EnFrançaisSVP

2. Patrik Laine scored again and is fast becoming a crowd favorite. He has a rallying effect.

Obviously, things won’t always go so well for him. But a guy with confidence can wreak havoc… and for the first time in a long time, he’s in a position to do just that.

3. Jake Evans is proof that a player can take time to develop, but that it’s really possible to see a player blossom if he’s well surrounded. What a great season for him.

He’s also proof that an NHL player given time and space can turn into… Patrik Laine.

4. With all this, guys like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield go under the radar more. Both players, ignored by their respective countries for the Four Nations Confrontation, have less pressure on their shoulders with a more… respectable second line.

It’s not right that Suzuki is less talked about than the referees, let’s say. But that’s another matter.

5. Kirby Dach will have to look for consistency. Patrik Laine’s center didn’t do badly, but he took a nasty penalty in the third… and wasn’t seen on the ice again.

Martin St-Louis got his message across during and after the game. #HardCoaching

6. Mike Matheson doesn’t put his ego ahead of the club’s success. For example, he barely played on the powerplay and no one hears him complain about it.

He played a lot on the short-handed and was a key to victory. It takes guys like that and like David Savard, who blocks shots without asking too many questions.


Extension

The Canadiens have announced a day off for their players. This means that the players won’t hit the ice until tomorrow, in preparation for the game against the Capitals at the Bell Centre.

I expect the Habs to field the same lineup tomorrow night as yesterday – unless, of course, Kaiden Guhle is able to play.

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