Is Lane Hutson capable of Ray Bourque, Chris Chelios impact on the Habs blueline?

Lane Hutson is having a rookie season that is just about on par with Habs Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Chelios (64 points), and legendary Boston Bruins defender Ray Bourque (65), and he still has tonight's game against the Bruins to add to his totals, along with seven additional games after that.

This is significant because Hutson is two points shy of Chelios, and three of Bourque, but he has more assists than both of them. Though back in 1979-80, Bourque scored 17 goals and 48 assists - Hutson won't be hitting 17 goals. But he could certainly outpace two of the league's top 15 best defenders - whose rookie seasons were a kickboard to the next level - and they will go down as two of the best defensemen to ever play in the NHL.

Given the fact that Hutson has six assists over his last two games, against the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. All of the assists grabbed the momentum from the Panthers and ultimately sealed the pair of wins in the home-and-home. Montreal needed those four points in a big way to stay in their wildcard two position.

Hutson seems to have that next level, and the way he is playing is one pace with the league's current top defender's rookie seasons. Quinn Hughes had 53 points, and Cale Makar had 50 in their respective rookie seasons. Lane has 62 points, and now the Legends are next in line for this year, but he is only scratching the surface.

How long until Hutson has an 'A' on his jersey, and is the guy who is giving the Bruins forwards and defence headaches with his skating, and all-world stickhandling skills. I feel like stickhandling in a phone booth is something that he has done as practice. Patrick Kane is a player he admires, and when you watch the two rush to the net, they skate similarly, and their puck skills are ridiculous.

Massachusetts is near and dear to Hutson, who played his two seasons of NCAA hockey with the Boston University Terriers. All that he did in college was earn Hobey Baker consideration in back-to-back seasons, and he was considered the best rookie in college hockey, and had many MVP nods, and awards.

Hutson scored 97 points through 77 college games, including a 48 and 49-point season. He made the jump to the NHL in April 2024, recording a pair of assists through two games. Now he is nearing the opportunity to fist bump and sit beside some of the best rookie defenseman seasons in the league's history.

To the Bell Centre we go.

Onto the game

Montreal was up by two shots early but surrendered a breakaway, and Samuel Montembeault kicked aside a strong effort from Elias Lindholm. The longtime Carolina Hurricane has 13-25-38 in 75 games with the Bruins this season.

Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky broke in on a two-on-one, and Jeremy Swayman got just enough of the puck to deflect it over the net with his glove.

Five minutes has come off the clock, and the teams are square with three shots apiece. Both teams are trying to establish their forecheck's, and the Habs mobile blueline is causing problems for the Bruins forwards.

Anything that gets near Montembeault is kicked away, or slowed down by a blocked shot.

Montreal is off to the penalty kill first, Alexandre Carrier tried to slow David Pastrnak's rush for the net, and tripped him up with his stick. One of the Habs' best penalty-killers is off to the box for two minutes.

Kaiden Guhle squared up to a Pastrnak one-touch shot, which made a loud thud when it hit No. 21, but the puck was collected neatly by Jake Evans and cleared out of the zone.

Matheson just blocked a slapshot from Henri Jokirharju, and the Habs have smothered anything around Montembeault, cleaning up any loose change.

Hutson, Alex Newhook and Patrik Laine nearly worked off a tic-tac-toe goal, but Swayman made a key stop. Shots are 5-4 Montreal, with half the period in the books.

Kaiden Guhle had a great feed from Juraj Slafkovsky who hit him with a tape-to-tape pass on the top of Swayman's crease. But he came up big again.

Slafkovsky fires a Caufield pass into the chest of Swayman from just outside the Bruins zone. Then Emil Heineman hammered a one-touch shot from Laine off the left half-wall towards Swayman, who kicked it aside.

Montreal hasn't let the Bruins stun them, something they have been infamous for is playing poorly, against teams that are lower than them in the standings. So this is a very good start, using their wins to fuel them against the Bruins.

Nikita Zadorov plays the game similarly to Arber Xhekaj, and he got Slafkovsky pretty good with a cold shoulder on the right side of Swayman's crease.

Brendan Gallagher, Christian Dvorak and Mike Matheson tried to each get a shot back-to-back-to back. The the puck went the other way, after Matheson's attempted was deflected wide.

Patrick Brown poked at Monty's pads, and Carrier didn't appreciate it, and he shoved him towards the boards behind the net. The referee's pulled the teams apart - Anderson and Lauko each got a penalty for roughing, and Brown got the extra two for slashing.

The Canadiens are off to the power play. There is a minute and 28 seconds on the clock, and the Habs No. 1 unit is on the ice. Hutson fires a quick shot from the blueline toward Slafkovsky near the low slot. But it went wide.

four seconds remain in the period, and Laine fires a one-touch laser off a great Hutson feed.

0-0 after 20 minutes.

Second Period

Forty seconds into the middle frame, Christian Dvorak puts the Habs on the board with a quick shot. Brendan Gallagher draws the lone assist on the tally.

Swayman robbed Carrier of a sure goal, with a Sportscenter masterpiece, Superman style.

Slafkovsky fired a heavy shot at Swayman, off the back off a great play by Hutson at the Bruins blueline to keep the play alive.

Five minute into the period, and the Habs have five shots, for the Bruins, they have zero.

Heineman made a nice rush to the net, but was finished off hard in the corner by a Bruins defender. He skated to the bench doubled over afterward.

Canadiens lead 1-0, and they have 14 shots, while the Bruins have eight.

Montreal has 12 shots in the period, and the Bruins are yet to register a shot, with 10 minutes left in the period. Swayman has been the Bruins' best player.

Hutson served a great dish to Caufield on the left half-wall, but No. 13 whiffed on the shot.

Guhle and Cole Koepke tried to punch eachother's heads off, both are off to the box for five minutes..

6:12 is left on the clock, and the Habs hold the 1-0 edge.

Caufield had a two-on-one with Slafkovsky but hesitated and the puck went into the corner. But Suzuki reloaded, and entered the zone, before feeding a pass to Caufield in his office. No. 13 made no mistake firing the puck into the net.

Suzuki and Slafkovsky each drew an assist on the 2-0 goal. Caufield has his 35th, and the Habs still have a period, and eight games for him to reach 40. The captain has 80 points.

Slafkovsky came inches short of taping home as Matheson shot that bounced into the slot off the back boards.

Evans tipped a point shot that had Swayman moving.

After forty minutes, Montreal leads 2-0 and the shots are 25-11.

Third Period

Gallagher has the Habs third goal of the game, before the third period is three minutes old. The Bell Centre is rocking, with just a small glimpse of how crazy they will be if the Habs make the playoff.

Evans has the lone assist.

Now the Bruins are on the power play, after Savard tripped Andrew Peeke.

Canadiens penalty killers kept the Habs blemish free.

9:13 remains, and the Habs still retain their three-goal lead.

At 6:41, Pastrnak laid atop Montembeault, while Lindholm tucked the Bruins tally of the game behind Monty.

Swayman is on the bench, and the Bruins are making a push to cut their two-goal deficit to one. 2:29 remains in the game.

Suzuki iced the game off a great play by Evans, left him with a yawning cage. The captain has his second point of the game, 81st point of the season, and 26th goal.

Habs win 4-1.