The Montreal Canadiens walked into Game 3 with Bell Centre buzzing and a real shot to swing the Eastern Conference Final in their favor. Instead, a blown overtime sequence and a few missed breaks turned the night into a gut punch for a young team still trying to break through on the big stage.
With the series now heating up and the Hurricanes grabbing back momentum, the Canadiens’ young defenseman Lane Hutson didn’t dodge responsibility afterward, putting the tough overtime loss squarely on himself after the final buzzer.
Lane Hutson Owns Overtime Mistake as Hurricanes Take 2-1 Series Lead Over Canadiens
Lane Hutson found himself right in the middle of the chaos Monday night, delivering a clutch moment before a crushing mistake in Montreal’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 at Bell Centre.
Hutson helped keep Montreal alive earlier in the game by scoring a second-period power-play goal that tied the score at 2-2. The rookie defenseman now leads all postseason blueliners with 10 power-play points and became only the fourth defenseman in Canadiens history to record at least 15 points during a single playoff run.
But the night ended on a much different note.
Montreal hung around despite spending long stretches trapped in its own end against Carolina’s nonstop pressure and heavy forecheck.
At 14:06 of overtime, Hutson attempted to make a controlled play behind Montreal’s net instead of forcing a rushed clearance. Carolina quickly disrupted the possession, leading to Andrei Svechnikov’s game-winning goal moments later.
Following the loss, Hutson did not shy away from responsibility while speaking with reporters. “It would be nice to be up 2-1, but we’re not because of me, so it’s frustrating, but you just gotta battle, battle until the end,” Hutson said after the game.
The 22-year-old also expressed frustration because goaltender Jakub Dobes delivered another strong postseason performance to keep Montreal competitive despite Carolina dominating puck possession and outshooting the Canadiens 38-13 overall.
Speaking about Dobes afterward, Hutson added, “He’s been great all playoffs, so I’m not surprised he battled so hard. Sucks that I just blew it for him, but it is what it is.”
Dobes finished with 35 saves while facing constant pressure from Carolina’s aggressive forecheck and offensive zone cycle. Montreal also received goals from Mike Matheson and Hutson, while a potential third-period go-ahead goal from Noah Dobson was erased after an offside challenge.
The Canadiens nearly stole the game late when captain Nick Suzuki broke free in overtime, but his breakaway attempt missed the net. Carolina capitalized later when Svechnikov fired a screened shot past Dobes after receiving a pass from Seth Jarvis.
Montreal coach Martin St. Louis focused less on one mistake and more on the team’s overall execution against a structured Hurricanes lineup.
“You need everything working against a team like that,” St. Louis said. “You’ve got to defend when it’s time to defend, which I don’t think, especially in that first period, I don’t think we did a great job defending.”
The coach added that the Canadiens still believe they can respond despite now trailing in the series.
“You’re at this stage right now, you have to put it all together,” St. Louis explained. “We didn’t expect this to be easy, and we’re OK with that.”
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Game 4 stays in Montreal on Wednesday night, where the Canadiens will try to even the series before returning to Carolina.
