First period
- Welcome to the Lane Hutson Era, which just happens to overlap with the Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovský eras.
- Martin St-Louis starts the Alex Newhook line hoping to match the energy level of Detroit’s start.
- Hutson scrambles across the ice to disrupt a shot seconds into his NHL career. At least there was no goal.
- The Red Wings are looking good using their speed for rushes, but the Habs are matching them.
- On Hutson’s second shift, he walks from the left side of the blue line down the right wing, throws the puck on goal, and Brendan Gallagher tucks it in to give the young defencemen his first of many NHL points.
- Justin Barron sees the danger with Hutson producing at the NHL level, and quickly follows up with a goal of his own.
- Little Caesars Arena has gone completely silent.
- Lots of communication from Savard with Hutson on the ice, and you can hear it all with how quiet the building in.
- Suddenly a burst of emotion as Hutson ends up in the slot instead of at the post, and J.T. Compher backhands the puck past Samuel Montembeault.
- An early teaching moment for the coaching staff, but I don’t think Hutson will miss any shifts.
- Josh Anderson flies down the right wing about 15 feet ahead of the puck on the left, side, and his brain clicks in at the last second to put on the brakes before crossing the blue line.
- Nice work by Hutson to win a footrace, lift a stick, and tosses the puck back out over his blue line on his backhand to force the Red Wings to regroup.
- It’s always dangerous when both Mike Matheson and Barron are on the ice solely thinking offence. Their neutral-zone turnover very nearly led to a two-on-zero. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard gave Matheson a good shove on the backcheck to launch him into the passing lane.
- A good period for Montreal. Really they just need to be mindful of the rush chances Detroit is creating, because that seems to be the only time they’re dangerous.
Second period
- Hutson’s blocked pass leads to one of those transition rushes, but Montembeault makes the save and David Savard clears the rebound.
- Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki bang away at a loose puck, and Ben Chiarot gives Suzuki a jab. Caufield grabs his former teammate for going after his captain.
- Gallagher has his hands hooked as he’s going to a tap-in. That’s one of those obvious calls that gets made on any other player.
- While Gallagher is still yelling at the refs from the bench, RHP blows past the defence, collects the puck from Jake Evans, pulls it to his forehand, and smoothly deposits it for a 3-1 lead.
- Michael Pezzetta goes to the box for tripping, putting a good power play on the ice.
- Montembeault robs Robby Fabbri with his left pad.
- The Red Wings have carried some momentum from their first power-play chance.
- Hutson pinches off his man along the boards and takes the puck. That part of his defensive game looks really good. He even threw a bit of a reverse hit to gain a bit of separation.
- Montreal’s top line puts in a hard-working shift to wear down the Red Wings a bit. They don’t get any shots, but it was good work nonetheless.
- Anderson slams Lucas Raymond into the boards as the Red Wings forward plays the puck.
- As the crowd is booing the non-call, Simon Edvinsson plays the puck blindly from behind his net off Evans and right to Gallagher completely alone in the slot. Gallagher nets his second of the game, and one of the easiest of his career.
- The 4-1 leads lasts for 34 seconds. Compher takes a cross-ice pass from David Perron and scores his second of the night as well.
- Suzuki crushes Raymond behind the net as he reaches for a puck. He’s a crushable guy it seems.
- It’s 4-2 after 40 minutes. Detroit looked better, as opponents normally do in the middle frame, but not by as great an amount as you’d expect for such a desperate club.
Third period
- Things start off with a chance for Newhook that Lyon just squeezes between between his pads. so the Habs aren’t just going to sit back for 20 minutes.
- Detroit is generating absolutely nothing. The crowd is trying to get its team going.
- They do hem the fourth line in deep. Patrick Kane hits the post. He winds up again, but Montembeault makes the save.
- Now Montreal is beginning to play its shell game.
- Caufield loses a skate blade after deflecting a puck, but pumps his stride on one leg to to get to the bench about 100 feet away.
- Someone has waited until the 9:25 mark of the third period to throw an octopus on the ice. Someone else got the cue to throw theirs as well.
- Anderson uses his speed to race onto a stretch pass, flies around the net, and sets up Matheson for a shot on the other side of the ice. He could do that every game, you know.
- I don’t think Hutson is getting many shifts as the Canadiens try to hold on to this lead. There will be no reason to hold the reins tomorrow night.
- Out of the mid-period break, Alex DeBrincat sends one into the top corner to make it 4-3.
- Chiarot looks a lot like Montreal’s #8 trying to hold the puck in at the blue line and Caufield and Suzuki head away on a two-on-one. Caufield slings the shot high and over the net.
- The goal has at least forced the Habs to flip the switch back on.
- One more commercial break, and then we see five-and-a-half minutes of total desperation from Detroit.
- Christian Dvorak can’t replicate what Gallagher did with a turnover right to him in the slot.
- Lyon joins the breakout to go to the bench with about 2:20 remaining.
- A mad scramble in the crease sees the puck go everywhere byt in the net.
- Gostisbehere hits the post.
- Raymond scores. He gets crushed by his own teammates. That pressure was just too much.
- Montreal’s top line pushes really hard to find a late winner. You can tell they had the goal of ending Detroit’s season in this game.
- That’s a critical point for Detroit that will keep them alive for another day.
Overtime
- Hutson gets the second shift of overtime, and had to content with Dylan Larkin’s speed. He did well enough to trouble his shot and allow Montembeault to make the save.
- Moritz Seider fires a shot off the crossbar.
- Gostisbehere fires a shot off the crossbar.
- Caufield blows past a defender but can’t beat Lyon.
- Hutson moves to the slot and gets a good shot off.
- He tries to race back in the play, but just can’t catch Raymond. He gets crushed once more.
- Detroit wins 5-4 in overtime, and tomorrow night’s game will mean something for them.
- That’s three consecutive extra time losses for Montreal.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) The most exciting finish for a 28th-place team
2) Good start? Check. Solid future? I’m not betting against him.
1) You never see an octopus hold onto a stinky human for multiple hours
