The Montreal Canadiens faced off against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, losing by a score of 6-3. Despite the loss, rookie defenceman Lane Hutson once again stood out with his dynamic play.
Penguins blueliner Kris Letang, who scored for Pittsburgh, praised Hutson’s latest display after the game.
“[Hutson’s] talent is obvious. He has incredible offensive skills. He skates very well. He moves a lot, and his moves are hard to predict. Guys freeze up a little in front of him. They don’t really know how to react,” Letang said in French, as per Francois Gagnon of RDS.
“When he got the puck, the crowd reacted right away. He was the only guy who got the crowd going tonight.”
But while his offensive prowess is a welcome injection to the Habs’ lineup, other teams are starting to take notice. Letang, now in his 19th NHL season, noted that the Penguins had established a game plan to contain Hutson, who has four points in four games this season.
“The scouting reports were telling us not to go after him because he would try to use his skills to beat us one-on-one,” he explained. “So we were prepared to let him roam, let him come to us before forcing him to make a pass in the middle of the zone like he did on one of our goals.”
It paid off as Letang capitalized on a goal following a missed pass from the Michigan native in the third period.
Low reward high risk play by Hutson. Yes the forwards had him covered. He blindly threw a pass in front while behind Pittsburgh's net. Defend him all you want that's a bad play to make down a goal in the third. If this was Barron you'd all be calling for his head.#gohabsgo pic.twitter.com/dQDFzvL7tM
— ian patterson (@ipatt91) October 15, 2024
Despite finishing with +/- rating of -4 on the night, the 20-year-old, who is already in the Calder Trophy conversation, created several dangerous scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, the Canadiens were unable to turn them into something this time around.
The roof would have come off that building if they got a bounce here.
Lane Hutson, man. pic.twitter.com/IUoaz9b0BY
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) October 15, 2024
“He created a lot of offence tonight. If the guys around him had been able to take advantage of that, he could have finished plus-1 or even plus-2. But there are nights like that,” Letang added. “You play against an opportunistic team like we were tonight, and one little mistake can be costly.”
Letang, who knows a thing or two about being an elite defenceman, also acknowledged the pressure on young players like Hutson, who may feel the need to overperform on each play — especially in front of the Canadiens’ crowd.
“When the crowd cheers when you touch the puck, it’s normal to be excited. To feel like you have to do something special every time the puck is on the blade of your stick,” the three-time Stanley Cup champion explained. “But sometimes, there’s nothing you can do. The game isn’t there. You have to put the puck on the boards or the glass. And that’s okay.”
Every young player requires a learning curve. Luckily, time is still very much on Hutson’s side.