Face-off of the prospects | Lane Hutson shines in a Canadiens loss to the Leafs

(Montreal) Lane Hutson had impressed the gallery when he arrived at the Canadiens for the Montreal club’s last two games last season.

The American defender picked up where he left off against opposition that was definitely below his level.

Hutson had an assist and made a number of nice plays in the offensive zone, but the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects won the first round of the Face-off against the Habs 4-3, Saturday afternoon at the Bell Centre.

Fraser Minten scored the winning goal in the shootout.

Adam Engström, Tyler Thorpe and Owen Beck each scored a goal for the Canadiens. Samuel Richard stopped 24 shots.

Braeden Kressler, Minten and Easton Cowan scored in regulation for the Maple Leafs. Dennis Hildeby made 35 saves.

Hutson was the star of the game for the Canadiens. The 2022 second-round pick showed off his offensive zone skills and provided good nutrition for his teammates.

“We see what he does on the ice, the fans see what he does on the ice, but I think his number one quality is the energy he brings to the bench,” said Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent, who oversees the Canadiens’ rookie camp.

Hutson’s main partner was Logan Mailloux. Mailloux believes that Hutson will also be able to defend his territory well in the NHL despite his size of 5 feet 10 inches and 162 pounds.

“I think some of the best defensemen in the NHL are similar in size,” Mailloux said. “Everybody’s going to defend differently. Of course, he’s not going to beat his opponents up the boards, but he reads the game very well, has good anticipation and knows how to use his stick well. I’m not worried about him. He’s smart enough to find solutions.”

Engström also did well in his North American debut, particularly in the first half.

“I think I expected to have less time with the puck, that guys would be on me quicker,” Engstrom said. “I think I handled that situation well.”

The trio of Beck, Emil Heineman and Sean Farrell were the most effective in the home side’s camp. They were particularly threatening in the third period.

The two teams will face off again on Sunday. The Canadiens’ rookie camp ends on Tuesday. Preseason camp begins the following day, when players will undergo physical testing.

Players stand out

Arber’s younger brother Florian Xhekaj quickly left his calling card, throwing down the gloves in front of Chas Sharpe after less than two minutes of play.

Hutson wowed the crowd moments later with a beautiful fake past a rival on the Maple Leafs blue line.

Engström was guilty of a slightly risky call at the blue line, which allowed the Maple Leafs to counterattack two-on-one. David Reinbacher was penalized, tripping Cowan while diving to try to steal the puck.

Kressler took advantage of the power play to beat Richard on the glove side at 4:48.

Hutson made another nice play in the offensive zone a little later. He made a nice cross-country pass to Jared Davidson, but Hildeby made the save.

Engström tied the game at 1-1 at 12:15, taking advantage of a pass from Charles Savoie towards the slot. The Swede beat Hildeby on the glove side.

This time, Hutson was at fault at the Leafs’ blue line, allowing Cowan to once again slip into the opposing zone. The Toronto prospect, however, missed the target.

The Maple Leafs regained a 2-1 lead with 2:12 left on another power play. Minten’s feed toward the front of the Canadiens net deflected off defenseman Owen Protz and into the net.

Heineman was caught by Hildeby early in the second period. After taking control of a long pass from Mailloux, Heineman orchestrated a two-on-one attack and opted for a shot that the goalie caught with his glove.

The Maple Leafs scored again on the power play at 7:56. Cowan scored with a one-timer between Richard’s pads.

The Canadiens cut the deficit to 3-2 at 9:33. Thorpe scored on a similar play.

Beck then tied the game 3-3 with 2.3 seconds left on the clock. His shot sailed through Hildeby’s equipment and just crossed the goal line.

Heineman knocked on the door twice early in the third period. Hildeby made a nice save with his right pad on the first opportunity, then Heineman missed the target after that.

Beck set up Heineman with just under six minutes left on the clock, but Hildeby shut the door again.

After the subsequent faceoff, Hildeby did the same to Davidson, who thought he could deflect a pass from Filip Mesar into an open net.

Hildeby continued to put on a show by stealing a sure goal from Savoie on a pass from Hutson with 2:32 left on the clock.

Minten eventually ruled in favour of the visitors in a penalty shootout.