Taylor Hall just lit Montreal up for nine assists in this playoff run, and Martin St-Louis has a decision waiting for him Monday night in Game 3.
The Eastern Conference Final is tied 1-1 heading back to the Bell Centre. Carolina stole Game 2 in overtime, 3-2.
Hall isn't a 34-year-old veteran riding the bottom six. He's been Carolina's most productive forward of the postseason. 12 points in 10 games. Plus-7. Three of those goals matter.
And he's been physical. Aggressive on entries. Finishing checks. Hunting Montreal's skilled core every shift.
The question being asked on hockey Twitter is blunt. Should the Canadiens treat Carolina's top players the same way Hall has been treating Lane Hutson and company?
That's the conversation Jimmy Murphy floated Sunday afternoon, and it's the conversation inside every Habs group chat right now.
Lane Hutson's playoff workload puts the spotlight on St-Louis
Hutson logged nearly 25 minutes in Game 2. He's the engine of the Montreal back end. 14 points in 16 playoff games as a 22-year-old defenseman.
You don't replace that. You protect it.
The Habs swept the regular-season series with Carolina 3-0. They opened this round with a 6-2 statement win. Then Saturday's loss flipped the tone of the matchup.
Carolina's plan is obvious. Pressure the puck carriers. Punish the small guys. Make Hutson and Ivan Demidov pay a tax every time they touch it.
Hall has been the tip of that spear. His 12 playoff points have come with a body count attached, and Brind'Amour has zero interest in pulling him back.
So what's the answer in Montreal's room? Send Arber Xhekaj after him? Roll Nick Suzuki's line against Aho's group and let the message land on its own?
Here's the honest read. Targeting Taylor Hall personally is a trap. Carolina wants the Habs chasing hits instead of structure.
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Montreal swept this team 3-0 in the regular season by playing fast, not by playing angry. Cole Caufield's 51-goal season didn't happen because anyone ran a 34-year-old winger.
But the Habs also can't be the only team taking the punishment. Game 3 puck drop is Monday at the Bell Centre, and St-Louis has to decide what kind of series this becomes.
Because if Hutson goes down on the next reckless one, the conversation stops being theoretical.
Should the Canadiens directly target Taylor Hall in Game 3?
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