HC Martin St. Louis makes feelings known about rookie sensation Lane Hutson shrugging aside his personal agenda for team's success

Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis praised rookie defenseman Lane Hutson after the 5-4 overtime win against the New York Rangers on Sunday.

Hutson assisted Juraj Slafkovsky’s third-period goal, tying the game at 4-4, extending his point streak to eight games. St. Louis highlighted Lane Hutson’s maturity:

"I know Lane’s a rookie, but I don’t think Lane is playing like a rookie. He made a lot of plays tonight. I’m not surprised.

"Lane’s a hockey player. He's going to battle, and he went and won some pucks in the corner against bigger guys. He’s very talented, and Lane is about the group, Lane is not about Lane. So, I’m not surprised." [25:16]

Lane Hutson has been a key player for Montreal this season, registeting 38 points in 46 games, including three goals and 35 assists. His contributions have been crucial in wins, with 25 points and a +15 rating. In losses, he has 13 points and a -25 rating, showing how much the Canadians have relied on his plays.

Hutson is averaging 22:34 minutes of ice time per game and playing on the top defensive pairing. This is his second NHL season but first as a regular player. Last year, he played only two games, recording two assists.

Montreal has improved from a 5-10-2 start to 23-19-4, sitting fifth in the Atlantic Division with 50 points. They are three points behind Tampa Bay in third place and have won six of their last eight games.

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How Lane Hutson and the Canadiens secured overtime win against the Rangers

The Montreal Canadiens beat the Rangers in overtime in a close game, securing two points. The game had five lead changes.

The Rangers took the lead through Alexis Lafreniere at 11:17 in the first period. Brendan Gallagher made it 1-1 for the Canadiens with a tip-in goal at 13:52. Will Cuylle restored the Rangers' lead at 14:38 before Christian Dvorak tied it at 2-2 at 5:07 in the second period.

Mika Zibanejad’s power-play goal put the Rangers ahead once again, at 10:24. Nick Suzuki responded for the Canadiens at 15:05 with a wrist shot. Chris Kreider put the Rangers back in the lead, 4-3, at 16:20.

Juraj Slafkovsky made it 4-4 at 12:52 in the third period with Lane Hutson's helper, scoring on a rebound from Cole Caufield’s shot. In overtime, Patrik Laine scored the game-winning goal for the Canadiens at 3:20. Jakub Dobes made 23 saves for Montreal, earning his fifth win in five games.