Player Discussion Patrik Laine: Part 2 - Healthy Living Edition

[No More Subban]

I'm definitely keeping Laine. Even Caufield would struggle playing with Newhook, Roy, Heineman.

HuGo has some work to do though. Give Laine a decent playmaker.

 

[Hins77]

Montreal had no legs against Nashville. Lets be honest. And it was understandable. With the trip and the previous game against Philly. But, at the end, Laine score a goal and we won the game. That why those player are important. It's fun to have 23 all workers guys, but when they have no energy, you can rely on that elite one. I know, sometimes he is gonna sleep, but he can win a game by himself too.

 

[NotCommitted]

Hey Laine has 3rd most game winning goals in the team with 5 (tied with Newhook I think it was), despite missing a big chunk of the season and you know who also has 5 gwg this season? None other than MacKinnon, so clearly that means Laine is just as important to winning games to Montreal as MacKinnon is to Colorado! And Suzuki & Caufield with 9 & 8 gwg are even more important.

Seriously though, scoring goals is important and if Laine sucks 5v5 for now, it's not like his 3rd line icetime has been blocking someone better than him. While he's been *one of* the worst players of the team 5v5, I find it hard to argue he's been *the* worst and I really doubt replacing him with an AHL call up would make the team better even 5v5, let alone overall.

It also seemed like him coming back really gave the team a boost that turned their season around, though to be fair the flipside of that is him getting injured in the first place seemed really deflating.

 

[Quatre Vingt Treize]

Habs are 29-17-6 since Laine returned on Dec. 3rd.

 

[CzarDemidov]

Montreal had no legs against Nashville. Lets be honest. And it was understandable. With the trip and the previous game against Philly. But, at the end, Laine score a goal and we won the game. That why those player are important. It's fun to have 23 all workers guys, but when they have no energy, you can rely on that elite one. I know, sometimes he is gonna sleep, but he can win a game by himself too.

Habs fans are too conditioned by the previous two decades of grim, grind, talentless hockey that a large chunk simply cannot accept a one way sniper type… and another chunk will make any excuse for a lazy attacking player only because he’s a breath of fresh air.

I wouldn’t want to retain Laine at the market price (whatever that would be) if he doesn’t play better next season. But I hope and think he will be more fit and therefore more versatile and functional next season.

 

[jrom]

for Laine it's really ideal scenario, joining a young / good vibe team AND probably going back to the playoffs for the first time in a long while.

Flip side is that HuGo will also have more leverage when negotiating contracts (with any player) the more the team becomes an actual contender (a desirable place where to play)

 

[Bacchus1]

Is it me or does Patrick Laine need a shorter stick so that he can actually control the puck when he is not firing howitzers? I would like to see him experiment with a stick 2-3 inches shorter to see if he can still blast the puck AND control the puck on the rush or in close quarters.

His stick is as long as Chara’s it seems!

 

[Guess]

Is Laine's skating off since he returned from his knee injury? I hope so because he's been really slow and in consequence looks pretty bad without the puck. I get that same feeling watching him as I did with Dach post injury where they just can't keep up with plays off puck.

Id rather not keep him past next season if he's just going to be a one trick pony with his shot. I know he can dangle past guys but he needs to be able to skate well too!

 

[Kojo]

Is it me or does Patrick Laine need a shorter stick so that he can actually control the puck when he is not firing howitzers? I would like to see him experiment with a stick 2-3 inches shorter to see if he can still blast the puck AND control the puck on the rush or in close quarters.

His stick is as long as Chara’s it seems!

Reminds me of when Jean Perron was talking about Stephane Richer's stick. Un long batton. Then everyone started laughing.

 

[OneSharpMarble]

Montreal had no legs against Nashville. Lets be honest. And it was understandable. With the trip and the previous game against Philly. But, at the end, Laine score a goal and we won the game. That why those player are important. It's fun to have 23 all workers guys, but when they have no energy, you can rely on that elite one. I know, sometimes he is gonna sleep, but he can win a game by himself too.

Yeah it was amazing when he took the puck behind Dobes, then flew up the ice and dangled both dmen and put it top shelf, oh wait he didn't do that. Instead he sat at the nashville line waiting for everyone else to bring the puck up and then took the pass 15ft from the net and shot it in. Laine has a great shot but let's not pretend he did everything himself, I should hope hockey fans can at least see that. Without those "worker guys" who were exhausted still driving the play Laine doesn't score that goal because he sure as hell wont do that work, he can't even win a board battle.

 

[Bacchus1]

Is Laine's skating off since he returned from his knee injury? I hope so because he's been really slow and in consequence looks pretty bad without the puck. I get that same feeling watching him as I did with Dach post injury where they just can't keep up with plays off puck.

Id rather not keep him past next season if he's just going to be a one trick pony with his shot. I know he can dangle past guys but he needs to be able to skate well too!

He seems to no be able to control the puck. He often looks like he over skates the puck or out dangles himself. It is like he is in an elevator with a giant package and keeps hitting the walls. I don’t know what causes this. Maybe skating, maybe stick length, maybe confidence.

 

[Marioesque]

Is it me or does Patrick Laine need a shorter stick so that he can actually control the puck when he is not firing howitzers? I would like to see him experiment with a stick 2-3 inches shorter to see if he can still blast the puck AND control the puck on the rush or in close quarters.

His stick is as long as Chara’s it seems!

If you wanted to nerf his shot and make him into a board grinder, yeah a stiffer and shorter stick with a different blade would make him win more stick on stick battles. But why would you want that is completely beyond me.

He does one thing better than anyone else, so of course we should mess with that to make him a better grinder?

 

[Skip Bayless]

He seems to no be able to control the puck. He often looks like he over skates the puck or out dangles himself. It is like he is in an elevator with a giant package and keeps hitting the walls. I don’t know what causes this. Maybe skating, maybe stick length, maybe confidence.

That's all from a lack of stability in his left knee. As much of a liability as he is 5 on 5, he pretty much saved the habs season with his PP scoring.

I really hope to see him 100% next season, he is a much better player than this.

 

[Guess]

That's all from a lack of stability in his left knee. As much of a liability as he is 5 on 5, he pretty much saved the habs season with his PP scoring.

I really hope to see him 100% next season, he is a much better player than this.

Yeah, it would be great if the Habs could hire a full time knee specialist, our biggest injury issues now all stem from those with Dach, Laine and Reinbacher.

 

[Habssince89]

very very gradually his knee is improving, you can see it in his movements. It's still below where he needs to be in the long run.

 

[Halberdier]

Habs are 29-17-6 since Laine returned on Dec. 3rd.

Yeah, and 31-17-6 now, with 0.630 point percentage, matching LA Kings (7th) whole season point percentage, or just shy of Toronto. Whole season that way and Habs were the 3rd on conference.

The point percentage prior Laine return was 0.396, and Canadiens were the dead last of division, conference and the 2nd last in the League. Let that sink in. Nobody had any hopes of making it into playoffs at that time.

Everything combined, Habs are now almost 100% in the playoffs, with total point percentage of 0.558.

Laine gave the team crucial goals that turned losses into OT, ties for W, and probably even more importantly gave the hope for the team. It's pretty much all it takes that instead of losing 2-3, you win 4-3. Everyone stepped up their game, goalies started playing better, Carrier was acquired etc. The snowball effect. Eg. a working PP can make that effect. It's just so much more fun to win.

Now, waiting for Ivan Demidov and working TOP6 (2C still missing, sadly, but it is what it is).

 

[Halberdier]

Is Laine's skating off since he returned from his knee injury? I hope so because he's been really slow and in consequence looks pretty bad without the puck. I get that same feeling watching him as I did with Dach post injury where they just can't keep up with plays off puck.

Id rather not keep him past next season if he's just going to be a one trick pony with his shot. I know he can dangle past guys but he needs to be able to skate well too!

Laine has had a huge contribution to the Canadiens success this season. Without Laine, Montreal had absolutely 0% possibility to hit the playoffs. It would make just zero sense to get rid of him. On 5-on-5 he has also been better than his linemates, who have been horrible (for TOP6, that is), so that's not a yard stick you want to use, but yeah. Give him anybody who can pass the puck and has some vision, and he will break even on 5-on-5 even with bad knee.

Now, your first sentence is right on the money. Yes, Laine's skating was so much better before the injury. Though you need to understand that his skating will never *look* that good. He has huge limbs with slow cadence so his skating will always look like Mario Lemieux. Always looks slower than it actually is, so it will never please some eyes. But the problem right now is that he isn't simply fast as he has been and he should be to be a star player even strength.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

He’s looking better at 5vs5 lately. Slowly, but surely. Noticed last night although no great chances he was more implicated in the play. A couple of nice back checks and some board battles.

 

[SallyBalls]

We've had 2 wins since this post.

Laine is crucial. @ 6 - 7 million he would be a super signing. Our PP is superb because of the big fella

 

[InsideLaineBOOM]

Patty was setting up Newhook again but Alex couldnt finish. But we all know he cant. I believe though tht Demidov can get the puck to Newhook just a tad earlier and/or to a tad better spot, which should improve the goal scoring. At least we can hope so.

Also, Laine setting up Demidov like that will result into a goal more often. Demi vill also most likely find Patty in some spots, as so far Newhook has not been able to do that.

All in all I believe the line will have a nice chance to become somewhat efficient 5 v 5.

 

[dauv]

Reminds me of when Jean Perron was talking about Stephane Richer's stick. Un long batton. Then everyone started laughing.

John Holmes also wielded a "Long Batton"

 

[InsideLaineBOOM]

John Holmes also wielded a "Long Batton"

Who was the old NHL player with a huge batong btw? I think even Trump admired it in some speech.

 

[dauv]

.

 

[dauv]

Who was the old NHL player with a huge batong btw? I think even Trump admired it in some speech.

are you talking about HARRY DICK who played 12 games for the Chicago Blackhawks 1946-1947 season

 

[Kennerback]

Laine's a guy that's chronically underrated. Maybe he doesn't do much. But what little he does, he's the best at. And that very little happens to also be extremely crucial in winning games.