'I Think I Got It' - Overtime Hero Lane Hutson Told Teammates He Was Going To Score

MONTREAL - Moments after Lane Hutson scored the overtime winner in Game 3 on an absolute rocket from the point, the Montreal Canadiens defenseman was joking back-and-forth with reporters about where he had been hiding that shot all year.

"Honestly, that might have been my first slap shot all year," Hutson said after the 3-2 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

That is, if you ignore the one-timer that Hutson also scored three nights earlier in Game 3. And the three-million or so slapshots that the 5-foot-9 defenseman took in the offseason, while attempting to add another weapon to the growing repertoire of offensive weapons he already possesses.

Canadiens' Hutson Is Making Smart Reads

Montreal Canadiens' defenseman Lane Hutson had ten shot attempts in the last game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and it shouldn't really surprise anyone.

Combined with his skating and offensive instincts, this is why Hutson should be a Norris Trophy finalist this year. Yes, he finished fourth amongst defensemen in scoring with 78 points in the regular season. But it's more than that.

There's a maturity to his game. So much so that Canadiens coach Marty St-Louis is playing Hutson almost four minutes more than anyone else on the team.

"He's such a competitor," said St-Louis. "I know the offensive stuff is obvious. You can measure that. But some of the stuff that he does defensively impresses me almost as much, even more, because … sometimes these guys that have such offensive talent that they don't value the other side of it. And I think he values it a lot. He plays some important minutes for us and I feel comfortable with him on the ice in any matchup. I never tried to protect him, because he competes so hard.

"We love when he has the puck on his stick, he's elite. We're lucky to have him."

The Hockey News

This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 9:23 AM.