Patrik Laine Part V: The Man with the Golden Stick

[ps241]

After missing that chance in front of Mason. The frustration is getting to him.

E: Who knows how many games ELL has sucked now, but there have been no line changes. Seems like the coaching gave up the season too. I really wanted him to go with a bang this season, not a whimper.

Mentioned this in the GDT but unfortunately for the tank Nation fans the Jets coaches have not given up yet and alas the team has won 3 in a row. Coaches don't usually change lines when the team is winning. 10% of the season left so Laine still has time to go out with a bang.

 

[Lempo]

Well at least Buflyglien is going to start taking him to the ice fishing trips. He'll chisel through the ice in no time with moves like that.

 

[KingBogo]

Mentioned this in the GDT but unfortunately for the tank Nation fans the Jets coaches have not given up yet and alas the team has won 3 in a row. Coaches don't usually change lines when the team is winning. 10% of the season left so Laine still has time to go out with a bang.

Just jumping off your post PS, not disagreeing at all.

Everyone of the Jets top young forwards went dry for a period during their rookie season and found their way though it. Even a talent like Laine will have some inconsistency to his game as an 18 y/o. Scheifele went on something like a 20 game pointless streak as a rookie, and some of the less patient around here had him labeled as a bust and a wasted draft pick.

Laine will pop a few yet and then come back next season at another level. IMO at least it is not a bad thing to struggle a bit as a rookie and have to adapt and find your way forward. One day we will need him to be a 50 goal beast that gets put out in every situation. Again IMO you get there by being knocked down a few times.

 

[grieves]

Just jumping off your post PS, not disagreeing at all.

Everyone of the Jets top young forwards went dry for a period during their rookie season and found their way though it. Even a talent like Laine will have some inconsistency to his game as an 18 y/o. Scheifele went on something like a 20 game pointless streak as a rookie, and some of the less patient around here had him labeled as a bust and a wasted draft pick.

Laine will pop a few yet and then come back next season at another level. IMO at least it is not a bad thing to struggle a bit as a rookie and have to adapt and find your way forward. One day we will need him to be a 50 goal beast that gets put out in every situation. Again IMO you get there by being knocked down a few times.

Agreed. Our expectations (maybe Laine's too) have become so ridiculous that it is easy to be let down (and rage on the bench for example). It is once the expectations lower to some kind of realistic level when stuff starts to happen usually.

Rest assured, Patrik will figure out his s**t. Long before Maurice figures out his. And rookie season schmookie season, let him gain some muscle and we'll see what's up. Dude is 18 and still leading the rookies by a fair (but diminishing) margin.

Plus he had a solid game anyway so what are we even talking about. Sometimes in the NHL 18 year old rookies don't score in a couple of games in a row. Especially if the line and PP2 is completely dysfunctional. Ehlers is a rocket (without a guidance system it seems) and Laine is a slow howitzer at this point.

In the words of the famous orator Ippenator, "keep Ehlers away from Laine".

 

[Kaako Kappo]

In the words of the famous orator Ippenator, "keep Ehlers away from Laine".

This is so strange because they worked really well together at the start of the season

 

[YWGinYYZ]

This is so strange because they worked really well together at the start of the season

They're both young, and very dangerous players. The unfortunate side effect of being young and dangerous from a scoring standpoint is that they will get more attention.

This is good for the PSW line, but not so good for the ELL line as of late.

They'll sort it out - they're both extremely talented.

 

[LoveNHL]

This is so strange because they worked really well together at the start of the season

I think the ELL line now looks pretty messy. Ehlers skates with the puck until he gets robbed. This happends in almost every shift. Little looks confused. He and Laine almost Collider with eacnother.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

I think the ELL line now looks pretty messy. Ehlers skates with the puck until he gets robbed. This happends in almost every shift. Little looks confused. He and Laine almost Collider with eacnother.

That's what i find weird about Patty. He seems to be WAY out of position in the o-zone in 5v5. Often he's right next to Little, trying to fight the same puck battle, when he should instead be trying to get open. For a guy who is REALLY good at finding the open areas, he looks pretty lost sometimes

 

[nobody important]

That's what i find weird about Patty. He seems to be WAY out of position in the o-zone in 5v5. Often he's right next to Little, trying to fight the same puck battle, when he should instead be trying to get open. For a guy who is REALLY good at finding the open areas, he looks pretty lost sometimes

Maybe they should try converting him to LW. Not sure why, just a hunch he might be more comfortable playing his off wing.

 

[Howard Chuck]

That's what i find weird about Patty. He seems to be WAY out of position in the o-zone in 5v5. Often he's right next to Little, trying to fight the same puck battle, when he should instead be trying to get open. For a guy who is REALLY good at finding the open areas, he looks pretty lost sometimes

My analogy is like this.... you find a spouse that you are so excited with and can't believe how happy you are to have them. But you just need to change them to make them into what you REALLY want.

We took an incredibly talented left winger who has one of the best shots in the history of the game (at 18!), and who has perfected his place on the power play ala Ovi,..... then we put him on the right wing, put him on the second PP, then moved him to the right point on the PP.

I understand that maybe players need to be well rounded, but sometimes you have a perfect opportunity fall into your lap and you need to appreciate them for what they are, not try to make them something they are not.

/rant

 

[Neuf]

Has Laine ever played opposite Wheels?

 

[MrBoJangelz71]

Has Laine ever played opposite Wheels?

Start of the season, Laine/Scheif/Wheeler

 

[CaptainChef]

Agreed. Our expectations (maybe Laine's too) have become so ridiculous that it is easy to be let down (and rage on the bench for example). It is once the expectations lower to some kind of realistic level when stuff starts to happen usually.

Rest assured, Patrik will figure out his s**t. Long before Maurice figures out his. And rookie season schmookie season, let him gain some muscle and we'll see what's up. Dude is 18 and still leading the rookies by a fair (but diminishing) margin.

Plus he had a solid game anyway so what are we even talking about. Sometimes in the NHL 18 year old rookies don't score in a couple of games in a row. Especially if the line and PP2 is completely dysfunctional. Ehlers is a rocket (without a guidance system it seems) and Laine is a slow howitzer at this point.

In the words of the famous orator Ippenator, "keep Ehlers away from Laine".

That is totally nuts man. Ehlers/Laine have been a dynamite duo & will be in future as well.

Can't help it if Maurice has been neutering Laine at every opportunity (putting him on his off wing, breaking up lines like Scheif-Laine-Ehlers when they are super hot, putting him on PP2, and now the ultimate insult - putting him on his offwing on the PP).

 

[nobody important]

That is totally nuts man. Ehlers/Laine have been a dynamite duo & will be in future as well.

Can't help it if Maurice has been neutering Laine at every opportunity (putting him on his off wing, breaking up lines like Scheif-Laine-Ehlers when they are super hot, putting him on PP2, and now the ultimate insult - putting him on his offwing on the PP).

From left to right, Laine-Scheif-Ehlers with a Morrissey-Trouba pairing bringing up the rear. Granted, that's a lot of talent to lose should an unexploded land mine go off at centre ice, but sometimes you just got to take that risk.

Maybe our next coach...

 

[LoveNHL]

That's what i find weird about Patty. He seems to be WAY out of position in the o-zone in 5v5. Often he's right next to Little, trying to fight the same puck battle, when he should instead be trying to get open. For a guy who is REALLY good at finding the open areas, he looks pretty lost sometimes

The line seems to lose most board battles. It looks like the players are trying to work on the same pucks. If they win the boardbattle they are all suck on the same spot and there is no one to pass the puck.
Tv

 

[grieves]

Not unheard of for Laine to have two crappy games in a row. I think he might have to spend the rest of the season trying to get back into the groove. Concussions aren't a joke.

Laine will get his groove back at some point. Unsure if his current play has anything to due with his concussion, but it is certainly not unusual for rookies to have periods where they struggle. The best learn and adapt and get even better. I have little doubt at some point we will again see Laine in beast mode.

Don't think it got anything to do with concussion.

18- years old rookie plays like the rest of the team does. He still doesn't mental strenght to lift the rest of the team night in night out.

Do you think Laine would've benefited more staying in liiga for another year or two?

Here are just some quotes from the first page from this thread when Laine was "struggling" after the injury, right before he went into a tear, upping his ppg to 1.43? in 2017. Just to ease your minds. Feel the sea wind blow gently on your face.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Here are just some quotes from the first page from this thread when Laine was "struggling" after the injury, right before he went into a tear, upping his ppg to 1.43? in 2017. Just to ease your minds. Feel the sea wind blow gently on your face.

His last slump wasn't this bad though. Last time he went 4 games without a point was in November. Let's hope he gets one or two tomorrow.

 

[grieves]

His last slump wasn't this bad though. Last time he went 4 games without a point was in November. Let's hope he gets one or two tomorrow.

"Bad slump". Dude you are so Finnish I want to give you a medal. JK

Even if he doesn't get a point this season he has been a demon, and will be a demonicus maximus once he gets his man strength and some xp (he is now level 3: Apprentice).

 

[Kaako Kappo]

"Bad slump". Dude you are so Finnish I want to give you a medal. JK

Even if he doesn't get a point this season he has been a demon, and will be a demonicus maximus once he gets his man strength and some xp (he is now level 3: Apprentice).

I...I'm just not used to having a potential Finnish elite player in the NHL.

And now we may have two.

 

[DashingDane]

After missing that chance in front of Mason. The frustration is getting to him.

E: Who knows how many games ELL has sucked now, but there have been no line changes. Seems like the coaching gave up the season too. I really wanted him to go with a bang this season, not a whimper.

That would be one game (yesterday). Just because Laine doesn't put up points doesn't mean they haven't played well. 2/3's of that line put up multipoint games in a row. Sometimes the Laine bias on here is ridiculous

 

[Lempo]

I...I'm just not used to having a potential Finnish elite player in the NHL.

I love the bit about being genuinely shocked if someone doesn't put it in from an open spot but chooses to pass it instead and fail the best.

 

[winnipegger]

I like that he's getting angry. Seems like anger is something that works for him (doesn't work for everybody). It's like that story Maurice tells where Pat was swearing in Finnish when he was missing and hitting posts. Next day he comes and kills it. Hope that happens here. He's been a few inches off on what could have been his last 2 goals.

 

[RageQuit77]

Pate simply miss Sanna. No higher meta-physics or rocket science here.

 

[KingBogo]

Maybe they should try converting him to LW. Not sure why, just a hunch he might be more comfortable playing his off wing.

I think he will be there as soon as he becomes better in his own zone. Once you gain possession in the offensive zone LW/RW matters very little.

 

[winnipegger]

I think he will be there as soon as he becomes better in his own zone. Once you gain possession in the offensive zone LW/RW matters very little.

It matters on the rush. Typically Patty is skating the puck in on his strong side, for a shooter like him he's just not gonna get the kind of looks off the rush that he would coming in on weak side. Gotta be able to break the puck out clean from the wall though I suspect that's the issue which is keeping him on the right side