Patrik Laine Part V: The Man with the Golden Stick

[kelsier]

Laine's place in is the NHL and in the top 6 if not top 3. What Maurice pulled yesterday speaks volumes about his own stupidity rather than Laine not belonging. He could have scored more points if he wasn't treated like an average 18 year old and helped the team win. Everything needs to be earned and no mistakes are allowed. Yet there are veterans doing them in every game and this guy was the one they called to play an All-Star game. You don't bench All-Star players due to one mistake.

He's been a lot better than expected. I just hope we won't get to see games like that again, where his fate is decided by someone else than him.

 

[TiimuSeLaine]

Laine's place in is the NHL and in the top 6 if not top 3. What Maurice pulled yesterday speaks volumes about his own stupidity rather than Laine not belonging. He could have scored more points if he wasn't treated like an average 18 year old and helped the team win. Everything needs to be earned and no mistakes are allowed. Yet there are veterans doing them in every game and this guy was the one they called to play an All-Star game. You don't bench All-Star players due to one mistake.

He's been a lot better than expected. I just hope we won't get to see games like that again, where his fate is decided by someone else than him.

Sure, Laine was dropped from the Ehlers-Little-line after the first period. But to me it was more to do with that line not working against the opposite line that night and something needed to be done to that. Yet again, of course it was also to give Laine a bit of a wake up, but at the end it was more about the lines performance, than Laine's mistakes. PoMo said as much in the post game interview as well. Laine was playing top minutes with Sheif and Wheeler on the third again.

Yet there are veterans doing them in every game and this guy was the one they called to play an All-Star game. You don't bench All-Star players due to one mistake.

Also, Laine so far has done very little in his short NHL career for him to be able ride thru mistakes and off-nights unscathed. It not like he's made of teflon, and poop don't stick to him.

 

[nobody important]

Also, Laine so far has done very little in his short NHL career for him to be able ride thru mistakes and off-nights unscathed. It not like he's made of teflon, and poop don't stick to him.

You mean like Dustin Teflon?

 

[FinnJet]

Laine's place in is the NHL and in the top 6 if not top 3. What Maurice pulled yesterday speaks volumes about his own stupidity rather than Laine not belonging. He could have scored more points if he wasn't treated like an average 18 year old and helped the team win. Everything needs to be earned and no mistakes are allowed. Yet there are veterans doing them in every game and this guy was the one they called to play an All-Star game. You don't bench All-Star players due to one mistake.

He's been a lot better than expected. I just hope we won't get to see games like that again, where his fate is decided by someone else than him.

There's nothing wrong with the "every thing needs to be earned" thing and that's the way it should be, but to demote Laine to 4th line as a punishment was just a stupid thing to do ATM. Punishing Laine for a "minor" mistake doesn't do any good for him or the Jets. Scoring some goals does, as he needs his confidence back, he just missed 8 games due concussion for ####sakes!

 

[DaJackal]

[mod]

The key components (IMO) which make a player NHL ready are a) (reasonably) high level of competition that will drive you and b) playing the NA style game in a NA sized rink. Laine already dominated FEL playoffs last season, so there is zero reason to leave him there. The man is producing near PPG in the NHL. That tells you everything about where he belongs.

With Jesse Puljujärvi I could have understood this question (although my answer would have still been no, but there could be discussion. Concerning Laine the answer is no, AINEC.

 

[Zhamnov5GoalGame]

Chill out people.
"Demoting" him to the 4th line when the line mates are Petan and Perrault is not that bad.

It's not like he was playing with Thorburn and Burmi.

There was a chance that by being down there against the 5/6 D etc... that he may have scored. In the 3rd he played a lot and was moved around. If you watch the lines carefully you'll see that it was almost a different set of 3 guys every shift. People were being moved around like crazy.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Chill out people.
"Demoting" him to the 4th line when the line mates are Petan and Perrault is not that bad.

No it wouldn't have been, if he was let to play. He played 2 shifts in the second period.

 

[FinnJet]

Chill out people.
"Demoting" him to the 4th line when the line mates are Petan and Perrault is not that bad.

It's not like he was playing with Thorburn and Burmi.

There was a chance that by being down there against the 5/6 D etc... that he may have scored. In the 3rd he played a lot and was moved around. If you watch the lines carefully you'll see that it was almost a different set of 3 guys every shift. People were being moved around like crazy.

That's true and nothing against the 4th line, but the fact is that playing in the 4th means way less minutes/ chances to score. He is good scorer and when the team is behind and need goals, it feels wrong to keep him sitting with 4th.. And if I recall correct, the line roulette started when Patrik was sifted to the 4th.

 

[kelsier]

Sure, Laine was dropped from the Ehlers-Little-line after the first period. But to me it was more to do with that line not working against the opposite line that night and something needed to be done to that. Yet again, of course it was also to give Laine a bit of a wake up, but at the end it was more about the lines performance, than Laine's mistakes. PoMo said as much in the post game interview as well. Laine was playing top minutes with Sheif and Wheeler on the third again.

If I didn't check your registered account name, I would've guessed this was a text-book answer from a common Leafs fan

When the line isn't clicking and the team isn't scoring, in what world does it better your odds for the win to demote your team's best scorer into the fourth line? The better (and more correct) action would have been to swap places with Laine and Copp, as opposed to just drop Laine. You've seen the end result, Maurice's maneuvers certainly didn't bring any points home now did they? He did too little too late.

Also, Laine so far has done very little in his short NHL career for him to be able ride thru mistakes and off-nights unscathed. It not like he's made of teflon, and poop don't stick to him.

Laine's done little? In what world is it "little" to score close almost at the pace of PPG at the age of 18 in the toughest league in the world and play in the All-Star game in your first year? He's not an average 18 year old getting a few minutes here and there. Laine is a star player that's one year apart from becoming a super star in the league. I've watched every single Jets game Laine has played this year and seen much worse mistakes happen by other players and those mistakes are overlooked. One period doesn't change that and they should all be treated equally regardless of the age.

 

[FinnJet]

Laine's done little? In what world is it "little" to score close almost at the pace of PPG at the age of 18 in the toughest league in the world and play in the All-Star game in your first year? He's not an average 18 year old getting a few minutes here and there. Laine is a star player that's one year apart from becoming a super star in the league. I've watched every single Jets game Laine has played this year and seen much worse mistakes happen by other players and those mistakes are overlooked. One period doesn't change that and they should all be treated equally regardless of the age.

He is not an average teenager, but he still is an teenager. Coach treating him as a superstar could easily make average teenager act like one. That kind of behavior is totally unacceptable from a teenager, or any other ager here around his home hoods
But seriously, he has been allowed to make some rookie mistakes and beside last game he's been treated more than fine

 

[ijuka]

I'm not sure why that sort of "behavior"(an honest mistake) is unacceptable from a 18-year-old rookie who's the youngest player in NHL but it's perfectly okay when it comes far more frequently from the team's alternative captain who's the 3rd highest paid defenseman in all of NHL.

And actually, Laine's attitude has been praised quite a bit. Maybe some people don't quite realize how tough NHL is at 18. The last thing he needs is the coach to jump on him for every mistake. I'm sure he knows what he did wrong without telling.

 

[Vohaul]

I'm not sure why that sort of "behavior"(an honest mistake) is unacceptable from a 18-year-old rookie who's the youngest player in NHL but it's perfectly okay when it comes far more frequently from the team's alternative captain who's the 3rd highest paid defenseman in all of NHL.

And actually, Laine's attitude has been praised quite a bit. Maybe some people don't quite realize how tough NHL is at 18. The last thing he needs is the coach to jump on him for every mistake. I'm sure he knows what he did wrong without telling.

That is a very good point. Where's the accountability when it come to Buff? Majority of Jets games I've watched I've seen him make some hazardous mistakes with the puck... the things is though, who would replace him really?

Im not trying to argue that Laine's untouchable.. sometimes giving the rookies some hard love can grow them as players as well.. but that giveaway in Minnesota game wasn't even particularly bad, see ones like that a lot in the league, this time it happened to result in a goal for the opposing team.

 

[kelsier]

He is not an average teenager, but he still is an teenager. Coach treating him as a superstar could easily make average teenager act like one. That kind of behavior is totally unacceptable from a teenager, or any other ager here around his home hoods
But seriously, he has been allowed to make some rookie mistakes and beside last game he's been treated more than fine

You missed the point. No one was asking him to be treated as a super star. He needs to be treated like every other guy in the line up. Also this generalizing doesn't really apply here. Laine has shown no signs of immature behaviour or acting like a teenager during his time in the Jets so I'm not at all sure where you are coming up with this?

I do agree with the last part mostly. He already had his time with Copp, Lowry and co. It wasn't beneficial to him nor the team.

 

[Jimby]

This wasn't just "one mistake". Liane has been making that same one mistake in pretty much every game and sometimes more than once a game. He obviously wasn't getting the message and Maurice had to send a stronger message.

There's nothing wrong with the "every thing needs to be earned" thing and that's the way it should be, but to demote Laine to 4th line as a punishment was just a stupid thing to do ATM. Punishing Laine for a "minor" mistake doesn't do any good for him or the Jets. Scoring some goals does, as he needs his confidence back, he just missed 8 games due concussion for ####sakes!

 

[Peggy]

That's true and nothing against the 4th line, but the fact is that playing in the 4th means way less minutes/ chances to score. He is good scorer and when the team is behind and need goals, it feels wrong to keep him sitting with 4th.. And if I recall correct, the line roulette started when Patrik was sifted to the 4th.

Laine is the kind of player you want on your team and on the ice when you're down a goal

I understand if it was earlier in the season, sure
But theven narrative is that they're in "playoff mode"
You'd never let your best chance sit out an entire period

It's contradicting

 

[Narow]

Hoping this game is worth staying up for (last one was not). Big night, long time no snipe.

 

[Aavco Cup]

Hoping this game is worth staying up for (last one was not). Big night, long time no snipe.

The Jets played well last game

 

[Narow]

The Jets played well last game

Yeah well maybe i should of added. "Only reason im watching is Laine" there now my comment should make more sense.

 

[Ducky10]

The Jets played well last game

Laine did not.

 

[JohnnyJet]

Laine did not.

The Jets sit 4th from the bottom of the league currently, how many other games you think others did not play well in? Probably plenty. And where they always demoted/benched for it? Of course not.

Good news for Laine is he won't have to put up with this coach (hopefully) for much longer.

 

[Ducky10]

The Jets sit 4th from the bottom of the league currently, how many other games you think others did not play well in? Probably plenty. And where they always demoted/benched for it? Of course not.

Good news for Laine is he won't have to put up with this coach (hopefully) for much longer.

That wasn't my point, it was merely to point out Laine didn't play well, not a judgement on whether he should have been demoted or not. Which for the record I don't think he should have been.

 

[Aavco Cup]

Laine did not.

That's reason to stop watching?

 

[Ducky10]

That's reason to stop watching?

Of course not..............although for some it appears that way however.

 

[elmaco]

This wasn't just "one mistake". Liane has been making that same one mistake in pretty much every game and sometimes more than once a game. He obviously wasn't getting the message and Maurice had to send a stronger message.

I thought he got demoted to try and score against the oppositions worst lines, not disciplinary action (atleast according to Maurice interview post-game). To demote Laine because of a few mistakes would equal to Edmonton demoting McDavid for the same reason and that is never gonna happen.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Starting to feel like the 30 goals might not happen, if he doesn't start playing better. Not that i'd be too sad, his season before the hit was amazing.