Bruins HC Joe Sacco marks out what makes Lane Hutson a special player

Boston Bruins coach Joe Sacco shared his thoughts on Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson. Montreal plays Boston on Thursday at Bell Centre. The Bruins have struggled, winning only once in their last 10 games. Montreal has won four of its last 10.

Speaking to the media before Thursday's game, Sacco praised Hutson’s skating, intelligence, and ability to handle pressure.

"Well, a lot (stands out) right now," Sacco said. "I mean, you know, he comes into the league, and people were talking about whether or not maybe he was going to be able to, you know, be the player he is, and certainly he's, he surpassed that."

Hutson has played a big role for Montreal this season. He had back-to-back three-assist games in two wins over the Florida Panthers.

"I think what stands out for me is his feet and his brain, you know, his skating ability," Sacco added. "In his brain, he's he gets himself out of so much trouble because of his lateral movement, his skating ability, his feet allow him to do a lot of things, and then he's going to, seems like what seems like a real high hockey IQ."

In Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime win, Hutson assisted on Nick Suzuki’s game-tying goal with nine seconds left. Suzuki later scored the winner in overtime.

On Sunday, Hutson had three assists in a 4-2 victory. He now holds the Canadiens' rookie defenseman record with 57 assists, passing Chris Chelios. His passing and vision have helped Montreal stay competitive.

The Canadiens rely on Hutson and Suzuki, while Boston’s top player has been Morgan Geekie. Both teams allow over three goals per game, so goaltending will be important. The game starts at 7:00 p.m. EDT and airs on SN, RDS, and NESN.

Lane Hutson won the NHL’s Rookie of the Month

Lane Hutson won NHL’s Rookie of the Month for March with 15 points (1 goal, 14 assists) in 14 games. His strong performance helped the Montreal Canadiens stay in the playoff race.

This is his second time winning the award. Hutson is the first rookie defenseman to win it twice in a season since 1991-92. In March, he led all rookies in assists, ice time, and power-play points. He had points in nine games, including five multi-assist games. His 54 assists this season are the most among all rookies.

Only two rookie defensemen in NHL history have recorded more assists in a season. Lane Hutson is also one of 10 rookie defensemen to reach 59 points in a season.