Of the four remaining teams in the postseason, Carolina leads in hits per 60 minutes with 34.91. That average has jumped to 43.73 during the conference final.
In fact, through the first two games of the series, the Hurricanes have 90 hits, 56 more than the Canadiens, with forwards Jordan Staal (18) and Andrei Svechnikov (11) leading the way.
Through the first two games, Hutson has been hit 12 times, which is tied with teammate Noah Dobson, also a defenseman, for the most on Montreal's roster.
"Lots of skill there, very elusive and just sees the ice so well," Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven said of Hutson. "I think you want to try and finish our checks clean on him and just try to get a piece of him because he's always hopping up into the play, and a he's a play driver for them and wants to make things happen when he’s on the ice.
"So obviously, we are always making ourselves aware of when he's out there and trying to do our best to shut him down."
When asked if he felt he has been targeted by the Hurricanes, Hutson said it’s not just him.
"I'm not too worried about it," Hutson said. "I mean, it's been happening all playoffs for everyone, so it's not just me, it's everyone. We've got a big, strong team, and you know, they use their strength."
Cole Caufield said he's not surprised Carolina is trying to take Hutson off his game.
"I think whenever you play the Canadiens, No. 48 is the guy that you circle, you watch out for," Caufield said. "So, I'm not surprised. Obviously he has the puck a lot, so he's going to get hit every once in a while. But he's a guy that we want with the puck and he finds a lot of ways to make different plays."
