And then? Do you believe in the playoffs? More than the crew at The Athletic? Because it can’t get any worse…
Because it’s one thing to see that the Canadiens are in a position to qualify for the playoffs if the season were to end today, but… the standings are so tight that it can change quickly.
According to the Playoff Status website, the Canadiens currently have a 54% chance of making the playoffs.
And if there’s one player who is helping the Canadiens have a chance to make the playoffs this season, it’s Lane Hutson. After all, not only is he producing, but he’s also involved.
One day, if he competes more, maybe he can climb into the top-4 of a good team. #Sarcasm
Yesterday, Hutson found a way to get his 39th point this season and his 41st in his career. His assist helped the Canadiens climb back against a major division rival.
And seeing him at 41 career points is notable. Why?
Because P.K. Subban, who also had two assists in two games the year before making the jump to full time in Montreal, collected 40 points as a rookie in the Bettman circuit.
Hutson is already ahead of Subban… and we’re only in January. He needed 30 fewer games to achieve this, which is very clearly notable.
Yes, Subban scored more (14 goals in his rookie season), he had a better shot, and he was capable of hitting anyone in the league. But what Hutson is doing is completely crazy.
His active streak of nine games with at least one assist places him first in NHL history for a rookie defenseman.
At this point, one might wonder how much the American team is considering him for the Four Nations in case of injury. And otherwise, maybe for the Olympics next year?
Not to repeat myself, just imagine what it will be like when Ivan Demidov joins him on the power play for the Canadiens this fall…
In Brief
– Game day in Laval.
– Too bad.
– To keep in mind.
– He’s bouncing back.
– Worth reading.
