Blue Jackets’ Patrik Laine will be a healthy scratch vs. Flyers
Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward Patrik Laine will be a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game vs. the Philadelphia Flyers, according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda.
Patrik Laine will be a health scratch for #CBJ in Philadelphia tonight. Adam Boqvist goes in as the Jackets go 11/7. Spencer Martin in net.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) November 19, 2023
Blue Jackets’ head coach Pascal Vincent spoke with reporters on Sunday to discuss the decision.
“He’s not happy about the decision, don’t get me wrong,” said Vincent. “But right now I think Patty needs to take a deep breath, go back to the working lab and get his touches back, get his shot back, get his confidence back.
“Nobody’s bigger than the Blue Jackets: not myself, not a group of players. We need the best Patrick Laine as possible,” Vincent continued.
Laine is currently in one of the worst stretches of play in his career. He had two points in his first three games of the season, telling The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline on Oct. 19 that he “feels like it’s overall been pretty awful, pretty awful so far.”
In his fourth game he would be on the receiving end of an illegal hit from Calgary Flames’ Rasmus Andersson, which led to Andersson being suspended for four games. Laine would miss the next nine games due to an upper-body injury.
The 25-year-old would be activated from long-term injury reserve on Nov. 11, and would score his second of the season in his first game back against the Detroit Red Wings. But he’s been held pointless in the four games since, giving him two goals and an assist in nine games this season.
Laine, drafted No. 2 overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets, has also seen a massive decrease in ice time in the last two games. In his first seven games of the season, Laine averaged 17:59 of ice time, but in the last two, he had 12:36 and 12:21, respectively.
The Blue Jackets will go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen vs. the Flyers, with blueliner Adam Boqvist drawing into the lineup, according to The Hockey Writers’ Mark Scheig.
It’s been a difficult stretch for the Blue Jackets, with the team losing eight straight games, including 12 of their last 13. They currently sit last in the Eastern Conference with a 4-10-4 record through 18 games.