The Montreal Canadiens are in a wild-card position as we inch toward the Four Nations Faceoff. Many people thought that entering the season, the goal, whether stated out loud or not, was to play meaningful hockey in March and April. That was a big reason why GM Kent Hughes acquired Patrik Laine in the summer.
Laine has been the perfect addition for the Canadiens. While his defensive game can be improved, he is being paid to score goals, and he is doing that, especially on the power play. On the season, Laine has 17 points (12 goals and five assists) in 19 games. Ten of those goals have come on the power play, improving the Canadiens’ power play.
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As Finland GM Jeri Lehtinen told RG Media, there is a reason Team Finland selected Laine for the Four Nations Faceoff.
“Yeah, we know what he is capable of doing,” Lehtinen told RG. “He’s great on special teams, he has those skills. In a short tournament, the special teams are going to be a big part of that.”
However, Laine, since his return from injury and illness, has made the second line of Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach more dangerous. This is what most expected when Laine was acquired. He was going to make Dach a better player, and you are seeing it. That line was a big reason why the Canadiens defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.
TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button joined SportsCentre after the Canadiens 3-2 come-from-behind victory on Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He explained how Patrik Laine has made Montreal’s second line better.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Glenn Schiiler: “We’re joined again by Craig Button, Craig the Canadiens second line of Patrick Laine, Alex Newhook, and Kirby Dach leveled this game for Montreal. What’s making that combo so effective right now for Marty St Louis?”
Craig Button: “I think there’s a few things. I think number one, let’s start with Kirby Dach. I think Kirby Dach is not just back to health after rehabilitating the knee injury; he’s got his level of conditioning up to the performance level that’s necessary to be an impact, and he’s playing the game in this middle of the ice like somebody that can move all around the ice.
Patrick Laine’s return has been really significant for the offense, not just on the power play, and Alex Newhook with his speed just looks more and more comfortable playing on the left wing. So you have different elements that support the other players’ game, and then they’re feeding off of one another.
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Marty St Louis, last week said that, it’s not just that they’re skating, it’s that they’re moving to the right places. They’re reading each other, and now they’re being able to take advantage because they do have skill. Laine, Dach and Newhook have skill. This is such great news for the Montreal Canadiens because it takes the burden of scoring off that top line of (Nick) Suzuki and (Cole) Caulfield.
(Juraj) Slafkovsky found his way back on the line, performing really well, and now you’ve got a team offensively that’s deeper and more of a challenge for opponents. And that second line has been really strong for the Montreal Canadiens over the last number of games. And that’s great news for the Montreal Canadiens.”
With the Montreal Canadiens playing as well as they are right now, there is a good chance they will keep players as their own rentals moving forward.
However, one thing is clear, the addition of Patrik Laine was the right decision for this team.
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