Canadiens’ Patrik Laine hoping to use 4 Nations Face-Off to get his game back on track
Patrik Laine wasted no time making an impact with the Montreal Canadiens when he returned from injury in December.
He scored goals in his first two contests and had nine points in his first nine games – as good of a start as you could ask for from a winger who missed most of the 2023-24 season. But he enters the 4 Nations Face-Off with Finland riding an eight-game point-less drought, with his ice time dropping to about 11-12 minutes a night.
So, the short international tournament could be an opportunity for Laine to reset and get his season back on track.
“To be able to get on the ice a little more definitely helps,” Laine told reporters in Montreal on Tuesday afternoon. “It’s been kinda limited the past couple of weeks. With the guys I’m playing here, I’m hopefully gonna see more ice time. That’s gonna help, obviously. It’s hard to get going when you’re not been able to perform.”
Laine still has 12 goals and 18 points in 28 games – a 23-goal, 35-point pace over 54 games. So while it’s a far cry from his 40-goal days, he still has managed to be good in spurts.
But right now, they need him to be so, so much better. The Canadiens have been on a bit of a downturn in recent weeks, with Laine struggling to generate many shots right now. Almost all his goals have come on the man advantage, his specialty throughout his career.
“I think it’ll be a good turning point just to play good here & gain confidence & keep it going with the (Habs) for the rest of the year.”
Laine hasn’t played a ton of international hockey over the past few years, but he’s always been solid representing the Leijonat. Laine had five goals in just two games with the U-16 national team as a 15-year-old and was the top U-17 player, too. In 2014-15, he led the U-18s in scoring with eight goals en route to a silver medal. The following year, he was named to the World Junior all-star team after leading the team with seven goals – and winning gold in the process. Later that year, he posted 12 points at the men’s World Championship to not only win silver but also take home MVP honors as a draft-eligible prospect.
Laine hasn’t played for Finland since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, where he failed to register a point in three games. And while it’s been a very long time since he donned his nation’s colors, he has to have some level of excitement, given his impressive track record in international play.
The tournament won’t be a full reset, with the first half being in Montreal. But he’s looking forward to playing closer to his current home.
“Yeah, it’s great,” he said. “I don’t have to travel anywhere. It was easy. It’s just a drive 10 minutes to the hotel… I’ve really, really enjoyed being here. Being able to put that jersey on in my new home rink, it’s pretty cool.
“And on top of that, we don’t have to play Canada here,” he added. “That’s always nice not to get booed. So, hopefully, they will cheer for me.”
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