The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in overtime on Monday night to win Game 7 and advance to the Eastern Conference final.
The victory was fueled by the historic postseason performance of second-year defenseman Lane Hutson.
Hutson recorded a power-play assist on a first-period goal by Zack Bolduc, extending his playoff assist streak to six consecutive games.
He leads Montreal in postseason scoring with 14 points in 14 games, 12 of which are assists.
Historic Numbers
According to data compiled by Frank Seravalli, Hutson has 19 points in his first 19 career playoff games.
That ranks third all-time among NHL defensemen, tied with Brian Leetch and ahead of legends like Bobby Orr, Erik Karlsson, Evan Bouchard, and Cale Makar.
Hutson's assist streak is approaching the franchise record of eight consecutive games set by Jacques Lemaire in 1973.
Building the Team
General Manager Kent Hughes reflected on the team's journey ahead of the series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
He credited president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton for convincing him to take the role four and a half years ago.
"I'm really happy I took the job," Hughes said. "It's probably been the best four and a half years of my professional career."
Hughes selected Hutson with the No. 62 pick in the 2022 draft. The young defenseman has developed a balanced defensive approach to complement his offensive talent.
"You get to the National Hockey League and you realize it's hard to score goals, you can't afford to give up goals," Hughes said.
"It's probably required Lane to be more balanced in his approach."
Hughes compared Hutson's defensive style to a basketball point guard defending Shaquille O'Neal. "Lane steals the puck.
And he's so effective at it," Hughes said.
Hutson remains focused on internal team objectives. "I don't really care at all," he said about external narratives.
"I care more about internally, trying to help the team win and kill plays."
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere called Hutson "probably one of my favourite players to watch."
Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis dismissed any concerns about Olympic roster selections affecting Hutson's performance. The Canadiens now prepare for the Eastern Conference final against the Hurricanes.
