Tensed Over Past Plays, Washington Coach Points Out Key Canadiens Target for Playoffs

Let’s rewind, back to April 28th, 2010. To when the 8th-seeded Montreal Canadiens beat the top seed and President’s Trophy winners, the Washington Capitals, in a massive upset. So much for regular season dominance. “I thought we had a good chance to win the Stanley Cup this year,” then coach Bruce Boudreau said in the aftermath. It was their singular focus: every game at the Capital One Arena began with a video display listing out their achievements that season and an image of the Stanley Cup next to the text, “NOTHING ELSE MATTERS,” while the eponymous Metallica song played in the background to really drive the point home. The Canadiens didn’t stand a chance. Or so everyone thought.

This would remain their sole meeting in the postseason until now, nearly 15 years to the date. The circumstances are almost eerily similar, with the Caps being a cup favorite and the Habs being a team that many wouldn’t have picked to be in the playoffs at the beginning of the season. Yet, here both teams are with a chance to repeat history or add a new chapter to it. Back then, it was individual performances from players like Jaroslav Halak that pushed the Habs over the line. And this time, Spencer Carbery isn’t leaving anything up to chance when it comes to important players.

One of them was the Habs’ rookie defenseman and Calder Trophy favorite, Lane Hutson. “Yeah. I mean, we’re very focused on the things that we need to do as a group. Now, he’s a player that we have to be aware of, and the season that he’s had, and the player that he’s become in a short period of time. Best comparison, and he’s going to get to this level obviously, the player that I’m about to say has accomplished a lot more in his career to this point, but Lane is on that trajectory as Quinn Hughes. That’s the type of impact that he can have on a game, five-on-five and on the power play.”

The Caps boss added, “His lateral mobility, his poise with the puck, his vision, deception, patience – all those things of those one-in-a-kind defensemen that there’s a handful of ’em in the league, and he’s one of ’em, and you have to pre-scout; you have to be aware of him when you’re on the ice. There’s a lot of ways that he can beat ya and there’s specific things we’ll try to do to neutralize that. We know you can’t keep the puck out of his hands, and he’s going to make some plays out there. We just gotta do our best to limit the amount that he’s making, and when he does get the puck, are we in good positions to help and all the different stuff we need to do?”

The comparison with Quinn Hughes highlights the distinctiveness and threat that Hutson presents. Carbery highlighted that if the Capitals fail to control Hutson while receiving the puck or executing plays, they could find themselves in a sticky situation on the ice. His synergy with teammate Patrik Laine on the power play, in particular, is something to watch out for, as Hutson has 8 primary assists on Laine’s 15 power-play goals.

This may just be his rookie season, but with a historic season (he’s the fifth-highest-scoring rookie defenseman in league history) like his, Carbery is more than right to be wary. But Hutson isn’t the only Habs player to look out for.

Other crucial Habs players, as highlighted by the Washington Capitals coach

The Montreal Canadiens’ playoff push appeared almost surreal. Once deemed completely off the table, their performance significantly altered many narratives. Highlighting two key players on the roster, Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery remarked, “So they do have some experience and some guys that have been there on deep runs. And then the other thing, not the elephant in the room, what everybody knows is Suzuki’s line with Lane Hutson has, since the Four Nations, we have them as the best line in the National Hockey League.”

Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson have forged a noteworthy alliance for the Montreal Canadiens during the 2024-25 NHL season, with Carbery acknowledging their outstanding performance on the ice. Suzuki, in his role as the team’s captain and primary center, amassed an impressive total of 89 points, featuring 30 goals. With his two-way play and impressive form since February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, Suzuki has played like a top-15 center, not unlike Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Carbery also pointed to Montreal’s defensive units and their mix of experienced and fresh faces. “You’ve got some veteran presence there with [David] Savard, [Mike] Matheson, who’s been around, been there, done that, and then you’ve got some young guys, the mobile guys. You’ve got a good complement of a lot of different areas, and you can deploy those guys in different ways. So that makes for an effective D-core.”

Their teamwork is evident in crucial moments, such as Suzuki’s game-tying goal with only 8.4 seconds left against the Florida Panthers, assisted by Hutson, leading to an overtime victory. Their combined efforts have been instrumental in driving the Canadiens’ offense, but only time will tell if the Montreal Canadiens have enough in the tank to waylay the Washington Capitals’ Stanley Cup charge.