{"id":392404,"date":"2026-01-05T21:13:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T21:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/392404\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T21:13:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T21:13:17","slug":"hutson-slafkovsky-kapanen-montembeault","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/392404\/","title":{"rendered":"Hutson, Slafkovsky, Kapanen & Montembeault"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Montreal Canadiens left Dallas with a 4\u20133 overtime win Sunday night,<\/a> and it was the kind of game coaches love to rewatch on a long flight. Second night of a back-to-back. Tough building. Playoff-calibre opponent. The Canadiens didn\u2019t dominate or steal the game, but they also didn\u2019t blink. They absorbed the Stars\u2019 pressure, stayed patient, and, when the opening appeared, took it.<\/p>\n

The moment that decided things came late in overtime. Sam Montembeault<\/a> made a save that kept the night alive, Montreal won a faceoff, and Lane Hutson<\/a> found the puck was on his stick. He fired it, and the game was over \u2014 just simple, smart hockey.<\/p>\n

Quick Hit One: Lane Hutson Knows When to Shoot<\/p>\n

Lane Hutson continues to show a rare feel for timing. The goal and the power-play assist show up on the scoresheet. What doesn\u2019t is how calm he was. In overtime, on the road, a young defenceman jumping into the play like that? Not supposed to look easy. Hutson made it look that way. He\u2019s a talent.<\/p>\n

\"LaneLane Hutson, the Canadiens\u2019 young breakout star.<\/p>\n

Quick Hit Two: Juraj Slafkovsky<\/a> Is Finding His Groove<\/p>\n

Slafkovsky found the scoresheet twice \u2014 a power-play goal and an assist at even strength. He set up Kapanen and nudged Montreal back on top late in the second. The kid\u2019s reads are faster, his confidence is showing, and he\u2019s starting to feel like a top-six winger every night.<\/p>\n

Quick Hit Three: Oliver Kapanen<\/a> Keeps Chipping Away<\/p>\n

Oliver Kapanen scored again, and that\u2019s quietly becoming a regular thing. He\u2019s really not all that flashy, but he does produce. In short, he\u2019s been reliable and increasingly noticeable. Five points in his last eight games isn\u2019t star production. But, for him, it\u2019s great depth scoring. And the Canadiens will need a lot of that scoring over the remaining games in the regular season.<\/p>\n

Quick Hit Four: Goalie Sam Montembeault Timed the Save Right<\/p>\n

Montembeault turned away 24 shots, but the OT stop on Johnston was the big one. Without that, Montreal wouldn\u2019t have made it to Hutson\u2019s winner. The game would have been over. But he made the stop and gave Hutson the chance to be a hero. He looked good in the game after a season of difficulty.<\/p>\n

What This Game Says About the Canadiens<\/p>\n

A solid road win for a young squad. The Canadiens didn\u2019t panic when Dallas pushed, held their shape in the third, and stayed calm when the game tightened up.<\/p>\n

Phillip Danault<\/a> registered two assists to pass 400 career points. The Canadiens are happy to have him back after his stint out west with the Kings. Montreal also notched its 13th comeback win of the season \u2014 proof that this team doesn\u2019t quit. This is a group that believes it can hang in games \u2014 and finish them.<\/p>\n

The Canadiens are also winning on the road against good teams. That\u2019s the kind of thing Montreal needs right now.<\/p>\n

Related: \u201cI Don\u2019t Think He Deserved It\u201d: Jake Allen Stands Up for Luke Hughes<\/a><\/p>\n

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