If we look back at last night’s game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Minnesota Wild, there are definitely several key takeaways.

First, the Canadiens likely played their most “boring” yet mature game of the season, which, by the way, isn’t a bad thing. Martin St-Louis’s squad delivered a much more mature and defensively “tight” performance.

Secondly, Kirby Dach needs to be better. He’ll need time to readjust to the rigors of a regular NHL schedule, but last night was clearly an “off” night for him.

Also worth noting is the brilliance of Lane Hutson, who once again wowed fans:

Terrible officiating last night in Minnesota nearly cost Lane Hutson dearly

Speaking of the young Hutson, who is an absolutely incredible talent and becoming a key player for the Habs, he almost fell victim to what can only be described as the officials’ negligence.

Objectively, last night might have been the worst-officiated game of the season.

You can think about the sequence involving goalie Filip Gustavsson and Juraj Slafkovsky, or several other moments, but one incident stood out in particular.

It could have gone very wrong.

Because the officiating was so poor, it felt like the Wild players took liberties and started playing more dangerously. Specifically, Ryan Hartman came close to seriously injuring Lane Hutson.

A frightening moment that could have ended much worse and underscores the importance of attentive officiating to ensure safety on the ice, which was clearly lacking last night.

No penalty against Ryan Hartman for kneeing Lane Hutson. This could have ended far worse. NHL referees are truly atrocious. – HabsOnReddit

It really brings to mind the sequence against the Toronto Maple Leafs during a preseason game earlier this season, and we all know how that ended for Patrik Laine..

Lane Hutson avoided disaster, but incidents like this in the NHL need to stop.