MONTREAL – A team lacking confidence is boosting its confidence, thanks to a player who needs to rebuild his confidence.
Of course, we joke with the chaotic turn of this phrase. But that remains the intriguing reality of the Canadian.
Because yes, Martin St-Louis’ troop seemed to have gained a few inches and a few pounds with the presence of Laine.
No doubt, it wasn’t just the crowd that was excited by the arrival of the big number 92. Even St. Louis was excited when he received the text message confirming the green light allocated to Laine.
So, there was something very interesting to see Laine start his journey with the Canadian on such a good note. Especially since the Finn had not played in the NHL for 355 days.
“I talked about it with my psychologist, I was nervous on Monday. I decided that putting on that sweater was an accomplishment and that everything after that would be a plus. I worked so hard to come back,” Laine testified with admirable transparency.
Laine feels better mentally thanks to his return to the game. Besides, the color in his answers said it all. He went so far as to mention that he closed his eyes while shooting his perfect shot.
He shared the crowd’s dose of love with his teammates who were jumping for joy around him.
“It was cool, everyone is happy regardless of the scorer. There was probably a little extra because it was my first match,” admitted Laine who was blessed to have experienced this moment in front of his partner and his sister.
For St-Louis, the presence of Laine changes the situation considerably.
“He looked comfortable leaving. You saw his strengths right away. I know he will help our power play and since the other teams respect him, it opens up his teammates. He is patient and plays calculatedly,” described the coach.
“That he can play so well after such a long absence is really good for the team. Since he is a very special player, the rest of the club becomes better. His presence makes the work of our opponents more difficult,” targeted Mike Matheson.
“He’s such a good player, he becomes a threat every time he steps on the ice so opponents have to respect him. It’s a very big piece that adds up for us,” said Nick Suzuki.
Above all, the Canadian is finally banking on its entire workforce. With better depth, St. Louis had to worry less about matchups against opponents.
That’s not all, his addition could give wings to Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach.
“It’s only one match, but we can build on that. They showed me that it could make a very good trio,” noted St-Louis without wanting to rejoice too quickly.
“I felt good all day, I was happy to know I was going to play with him. I wanted to win a few battles to allow him to have the puck more often,” said a smiling Slafkovsky.
This good mood did not only emanate from the Slovak, it floated in the locker room while the Canadian has four more consecutive games at home to maximize Laine’s return in the short term.
“It’s fun, we played a good match. Everyone wanted to play for him and deserve the victory,” admitted Samuel Montembeault.
“The timing was perfect to give us energy. Everyone was very excited about his return,” confirmed Matheson.
As captain, Suzuki didn’t want to set expectations too high for Laine, but he’s happy with the start.
“It’s valuable for us especially after two defeats in a row. It’s exciting and we want to continue in this direction,” concluded Suzuki.
