Fresh off their seven game first round upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal, the Montreal Canadiens earned themselves a date with the Buffalo Sabres, a club that advanced to the second round for the first time since 2007.
However, the Canadiens were unable to keep any of the momentum that they’d generated from their 2-1 win over the Lightning in the decisive Game 7, dropping a 4-2 final score at KeyBank Centre to trail one game to none in the best of seven series.
Young Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, one of the NHL’s top players at his position, last season’s Calder Trophy winner as the league’s best rookie, and the scorer of the overtime game-winning goal against the Lightning in Game 3 of the series, spoke up and took responsibility like a veteran following the loss to Buffalo.
Montreal Canadiens Defenseman Lane Hutson Took Responsibility For Game 1 Loss To Sabres
Hutson, known for his excellent skating, lost his balance and fell during the first period, which directly led to the first goal of the game from the Sabres.
Afterward, Hutson pointed the finger at himself for what transpired.
“I feel like everyone kind of came ready to play, except me, honestly,” Hutson said. “S***** bounce or whatever, but you have to be able to make a better play there. It’s a bad feeling, for sure, but we’ll move on and go on to the next.”
Hutson was the first player on the ice on Thursday morning for practice, which did not go unnoticed by head coach Martin St. Louis.
“I don’t want to get in Lane’s way,” St. Louis said. “I just let Lane be Lane. It’s rare that he’s not ready to play, so I’m not going to stand in his way of his own preparation, how it builds his confidence.
“I feel like the rink is a sanctuary for him. I was the same way. I wouldn’t want a coach to get in my way of what makes me feel good, what prepares me for the game. So I let him be.”
So far in the playoffs, Hutson has scored two goals with four assists while averaging just over 27 minutes of ice time per game.
The Canadiens Trail The Sabres One Game To None
The Canadiens are suffering from a lack of production from their top players like Cole Caufield, who scored 51 goals during the regular season but only has one so far in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Ivan Demidov still has yet to light the lamp through the first 13 playoff games of his career dating back to last season.
“I think, at this time of year, if you’re not getting production throughout your whole lineup, it’s going to be tough to win games,” said Canadiens forward Kirby Dach. “We’re confident in every line and the six D-men we roll out there every night are able to produce. “For us, it’s just playing our brand, and playing our game and setting our standard out there.”
Game 2 between the Canadiens and Sabres is Friday evening.
Canadiens’ Lane Hutson Gets Brutally Honest After Costly Game 1 Mistake