The Montreal Canadiens entered the weekend in a strong position despite not playing since Wednesday. They maintained their playoff hopes, still only one point behind the postseason spots. Their matchup against the Florida Panthers was crucial for their playoff chances, as they have three games remaining against the defending Stanley Cup champions and must find a way to compete against such a strong team.
The Canadiens secured a 3-1 victory against the Panthers, which allowed them to move ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the standings. They remain one point behind the New York Rangers for the final playoff spot but have a game in hand. The race to the playoffs is set to be an exciting one.
Wilde Horses:
The Canadiens’ first line continues to be the best in the NHL since the Four Nations break. Over the last 10 games since the break, this line has scored 18 goals. Nick Suzuki has also been the league’s top scorer during this period.
This line’s recent success is largely due to the emergence of Juraj Slafkovsky. Over the past three weeks, Slafkovsky has transformed into a skilled and effective player, ready for a breakout season. He has gone from uncertain with the puck to a player who anticipates every move before he even has the puck.
One example of his development was his pass to Cole Caufield for a goal. Slafkovsky carefully assessed the situation, waited for Caufield to get open, and then made the perfect pass. Caufield also assisted on the first goal of the game, passing to Lane Hutson, who set up Patrik Laine for his 16th goal of the season. Laine’s goals are consistently the same: he positions himself on the left, waits for the pass, and unleashes a powerful shot to the top corner of the net—an unstoppable weapon.
Christian Dvorak added an insurance goal in the third period, and Samuel Montembeault came up with some key saves to secure the win.
Wilde Goats:
The game was characterized by a cautious, defensive approach from both teams. There was little risk-taking, and midway through the third period, neither team had more than 14 shots on goal. It was a low-flow game, but its significance made it compelling. Both teams played hard, with no standout mistakes from the Canadiens.
Wilde Cards:
The Calder Trophy race is starting to tilt in favor of Hutson. In a poll of 16 NHL writers, Hutson narrowly beat Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini. The writers’ votes could be a strong indicator of the eventual winner. Hutson received 69 points, edging Celebrini, who had 66 points. Despite this, oddsmakers in Vegas still favor Celebrini significantly, with him listed as a -280 favorite and Hutson a long shot at +400.
The discrepancy in odds is puzzling. While Celebrini is a talented player, his 49 points this season don’t compare to some of the great rookie seasons in history. By contrast, Hutson, as a defenseman, is on pace for 64 points, putting him in the conversation for one of the best rookie seasons by a defenseman in NHL history.
Looking at historical context, defensemen who scored in the 70s like Larry Murphy and Brian Leetch are considered among the best rookie seasons. Hutson’s current pace places him among the best rookie defensemen this century, with only Quinn Hughes ahead of him in scoring among current players. On the other hand, Celebrini’s scoring ranks him as just the 12th-best forward of this century based on current stats.
Given Hutson’s outstanding season, it would be hard to justify Celebrini winning the Calder over him, despite Celebrini’s strong play. Hutson is not only the best rookie this season, but he’s also having one of the best rookie seasons by a defenseman in NHL history. If he doesn’t win the Calder, it would be a significant injustice.