SUNRISE, Fla. — With less than four minutes remaining in a tight game against the Florida Panthers, the Panthers` formidable line of Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Mackie Samoskevich took to the ice. Just moments prior, they had created significant pressure in the Montreal zone, generating multiple shot attempts and shifting the game`s momentum.

The pressure was palpable, but Lane Hutson was more than ready to meet the challenge.

As the puck circled around the boards to Bennett behind the Montreal net, Hutson skillfully dispossessed him with his stick. He then fought through a screen to prevent Bennett from getting a clear shot on goal. Crucially, in the final moments of the play, he effectively checked Marchand in the slot, eliminating a key opportunity for Florida to equalize.

Shortly after, Brendan Gallagher sealed the Canadiens` 4-2 victory with an empty-net goal.

The tension immediately dissipated for Gallagher and most of his teammates as they secured the win, ending a five-game losing streak and reclaiming their position in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.

If Hutson felt any pressure in this critical situation, he certainly didn`t show it.

The Canadiens initially secured a wild-card spot on March 18th with a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. However, the pressure of defending that position seemed to weigh heavily on the team.

They struggled against this new pressure, suffering an overtime loss to the New York Islanders and a shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Their subsequent four-game road trip, through St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Carolina, further exacerbated the issue, until they managed to regain their composure just before the trip concluded in South Florida.

Juraj Slafkovsky, celebrating his 21st birthday with a goal and an assist in the game, spoke about this feeling of being under pressure.