Player Discussion: Patrik Laine

[Maukkis]

No, but it may tell something about Your defensive awareness and how the coach has told You to play. Meaning Laine seems often to be the 1st forward back to own zone, not cheating for offence.[

What it also means that you play without a puck, hence why you need to block shots as to not concede goals.

That, and they are tracked weirdly. Similar stuff to give-/takeaways. The informational value of the stat is not as high as one would think.

 

[jggmalloy]

No, but it may tell something about Your defensive awareness and how the coach has told You to play. Meaning Laine seems often to be the 1st forward back to own zone, not cheating for offence.[

Laine's high quantity of blocks stems from the fact that he's in the defensive zone more than he should be. It's not indicative of defensive prowess, though it's often misrepresented as such.

Mark Stuart always lead the Jets in blocked shots. It's not that he was some sort of defensive stalwart, it's just that he was incapable of moving the puck out of the DZ, so he stayed in it and got pelted with pucks.

I've always thought we should use shot blocking efficiency (blocks divided by total shots against) to determine who's a valuable shot blocker. It still wouldn't be the most useful piece of information, but it would at least tell us who's good at blocking a shot when they must versus someone who just racks up blocks because they suck.

 

[jggmalloy]

Also, Patrik Laine has a certain strength that makes up for his defensive deficiencies. Mark Stuart... not so much.

 

[Gabe Kupari]

Ehlers on the third or fourth line...?

Hes hurt .ELW when back.

 

[Highway1]

I think the coaching staff should STRONGLY suggest Laine train with Scheifele and the Robert’s team.

 

[Lowered Expectations]

What it also means that you play without a puck, hence why you need to block shots as to not concede goals.

That, and they are tracked weirdly. Similar stuff to give-/takeaways. The informational value of the stat is not as high as one would think.

Well, he seems to be in ok company then. 23 weirdly tracked blocks also for Scheif, Matthews, Couturier, Barkov. Tavares with 22. Landeskog 29. Benn has most, 43.

 

[Howard Chuck]

I think the coaching staff should STRONGLY suggest Laine train with Scheifele and the Robert’s team.

How did Scheifele look at 20 training with Roberts?

 

[JetsFan815]

I don't care if he's training with Roberts, I just want him to do what a normal NHL player does training wise. None of the special Rautala sauce. Just get a list of things to work on from the Jets and follow the training plan of a median top-6 player in the NHL.

It seems that those posters who were raising questions this summer about Rautala's plan might have been right. Certainly those posters who were arguing that skating in the offseason can be detrimental to a player are nowhere to be found.

 

[TannedBum]

It seems that those posters who were raising questions this summer about Rautala's plan might have been right.

Not this again. The answer is right in front of you. It's right there and so simple, and yet so hard to see.

You can't have results if you don't follow the plan.

 

[Lowered Expectations]

You saw how strong Rantanen was with the puck in Avs game right? Same summer trainer and group. Aim for Laine is to get similar strength.
But You know the saying, a malfunction doesn't have to be big one it it is in Your head. He has been putrid lately and it must be mental issue. We don't know what is happening behind the seens. It may be in personal life or team issue. We don't know.

 

[The Russian Rocket]

It's 100% confidence/mental issue. A player who scored 5 goals in a game does not simply lose all his skills suddenly in a months time.

 

[mondo3]

Where's that quote from the Finnish newspaper? Anyways, wouldn't it be ironic if it was Laine who wanted to switch teams (article suggested he wants to be on a team where he can play on the first line), and not Matthews (who many Jet's fans were happy we didn't draft, as they thought he wouldn't want to re-sign in Wpg)

 

[Maukkis]

It's 100% confidence/mental issue. A player who scored 5 goals in a game does not simply lose all his skills suddenly in a months time.

Would be willing to listen to that excuse, if his problems did not date back to last season.

Some amount of it is probably mental, but let's not pretend Laine has some astronomical warts which have not been worked on at all (or, at the very least, no progress has been made on those fronts).

The goals will come, but it doesn't look like much else will.

 

[Trinity]

Laine needs to spend a couple games in the press box at this stage. He doesn't even look like an NHLer out there.

 

[Trinity]

Would be willing to listen to that excuse, if his problems did not date back to last season.

Some amount of it is probably mental, but let's not pretend Laine has some astronomical warts which have not been worked on at all (or, at the very least, no progress has been made on those fronts).

The goals will come, but it doesn't look like much else will.

Do Jets players have access to a sports psychologist?

 

[NotCommitted]

3rd season in a row he's leading the team in goals*, both overall and even strength, his 5v5 G/60 rates are in a different league to anyone in the team, yet he can't find a spot in the 1st line and now he's got the fans booing at him?

The fans, coaching and Laine all need to get a grip before it gets out of hand. Laine needs to stop acting like a 5-year old who's not getting his way when his shots don't go in. I get it, he expects a goal from every shot and it's part of the reason why he scores so much, but frankly his frustrated reaction after every missed opportunity is starting to look very childish and immature. He needs to grow up and learn to not spiral into the basement after he goes a couple games goalless. The coach needs to get his head out of his backside, where he must be looking for those lost farts and realize he's got an offensive weapon the sort most coaches in the league can only dream of and he's misusing him for the 3rd season in a row with a center he never has got anything going with, and only direction for Laine in the lineup seems to be down from there. The fans could also look in the mirror and ask themselves if they want to boo their 20-year old star out of town and if they want a goalscorer or a 3rd line hustle guy.

I mean Wheeler seems like an eternal lock on the 1st line RW, and Laine seems to be option number 3 for the first line LW spot, and no matter how many goals he scores never seems to change that. Let's remember his whole career before the Jets he's been playing LW. The coach switches him to RW and it's starting to look like he cannot dream of 1st line until granpa Wheeler loses his legs. Meanwhile he's got the fans booing at him for struggling in that 2nd line that's never worked well 5v5 for any length of time.

But you know what, the correct way to respond to that is to play so well that the coach has no option but to play you 20+ minutes a night or look like a complete idiot for not doing so. The problem with that is when Laine is playing badly, it's all on him and when he's playing lights out, it's "wow, where are the haters now?? Maybe that coach Maurice knew what he's doing with those lines after all!"

EDIT: * for this season Scheifele passed him in 5v5 goals some games ago

 

[Lowered Expectations]

If only He had hit the net in the last minutes when he got to speed from behind jets goal and got trough wild players (between line change) to shooting position. That play actually looked good IMO.

 

[NotCommitted]

My 5-step program for unlocking the secret super powers of eternal goal scoring:

1. Laine needs equal opportunity to Connor & Ehlers in that 1st line. I'm sure there are games/situations where you would want your best goal scorer there, instead of a Connor/Ehlers swap.
2. Get rid of the mom (if she still lives with him). It's time to be your own man.
3. Stop that fortnite bullshit or make it something you only indulge in once a week or something. Occasional boredom is good for the soul and enchances your motivation for living life to the fullest.
4. Find the right person/people to help with the mental side of minimizing cold streaks and getting the max out of the positive cycle.
5. Profit.

Easy. If you are Jets or Laine and want me to be person in no4, ask for contact details in a PM. Let's turn this ship around #risetogether (or is that still a thing?)

 

[Upperdeckjet]

There are no Winnipeg Jet fans booing Patrik Laine. What you will hear is a collective groan from the fans, when yet again, Patrik makes a poor play in the defensive zone.
Booing = unacceptable and not being done.
Collective groan- completely acceptable, I do it myself. The fans are not robots. Especially our fans.

 

[cbcwpg]

How to coach a goal scorer:

Mike Bossy and Al Arbour

The first two or three practices, I’ll keep skating up to Al during breaks and asking what I should be doing in my own zone.

“Coach, am I supposed to be on the wall?”
“Coach, when the puck is behind the net, am I in the right spot?”
“Coach….”
Finally, he’ll shut you up.
“Mike?”
“Yes, coach.”
“Mike, do you know why we brought you here?”
“Well….”
“Mike, we brought you here to score goals. Can you score goals for us?”
“Well.…”
“Mike, don’t bother me about your defense ever again. If I have anything to say about your defense, I’ll come and see you, O.K.?”

I’ll speak to Al maybe two or three more times the rest of the season.

***

Laine needs to do what Laine does. Keep it simple, have fun, know that you will have ups and downs...and just put the puck in the net

And in regards to Bossy. The thing that makes wingers scoring phenoms is having a center that can give you the puck where you will put it in. Bossy had Trottier. Kurri had Gretzky. Laine has Little.... well guess what...Little is NOT that guy. Period.

 

[Belzebob]

I think there is far too much concern voiced about Laine's play.

there are a few causes.

he is only 20.

with his size it could be like a defence prospect. larger defensemen usually take longer to hit their peak because they are still growing

the Winnipeg jets have a culture that everyone needs to skate and play hard at both ends of the ice.

when chef came up and he was known as "bambi" did anyone see him having a development path that would produce one of the best 2-way centres in the league.

a bit of stretch considering chefs work effort....

but I think it is far too early to worry about a player that has 100 goals in 2 and a half seasons.

it may help get him signed to a reasonable contract.

this is not a player I would bridge

 

[abax44]

Do Jets players have access to a sports psychologist?

They're millionaires, so I'd say yes... yes they do.

 

[jepjepjoo]

I think there is far too much concern voiced about Laine's play.

there are a few causes.

he is only 20.

with his size it could be like a defence prospect. larger defensemen usually take longer to hit their peak because they are still growing

the Winnipeg jets have a culture that everyone needs to skate and play hard at both ends of the ice.

when chef came up and he was known as "bambi" did anyone see him having a development path that would produce one of the best 2-way centres in the league.

a bit of stretch considering chefs work effort....

but I think it is far too early to worry about a player that has 100 goals in 2 and a half seasons.

it may help get him signed to a reasonable contract.

this is not a player I would bridge

One of the best centers for sure... 2-way? Nowhere near the top.

 

[JetsFan815]

I wish we were going on like a 5-6 game road trip right now. Being on the road away from the media and away from the pressure would be helpful to him.

 

[winnipegger]

If he still looks like this after another off-season I will worry if he's going to be anything more than a PP specialist. But still giving the benefit of the doubt for this year. People who are 20 are usually not consistent with any aspect of life.