Former NHL head coach Bruce Boudreau joined Overdrive to an array of hockey topics, including the Laine acquisition and how Martin St. Louis will coach the Finnish forward.
On Thursday, former NHL bench boss Bruce Boudreau joined TSN’s Overdrive radio show to discuss the numerous developments in the hockey universe. Among the topics was the Canadiens’ recent acquisition of Patrik Laine.
“I don’t know what he’s like other than his first year when I was in Minnesota and he scored like three goals every time we were playing them,” Boudreau initially joked. He then gave a more in-depth and serious answer:
What transpired inside the confines of the Blue Jackets locker room remains a mystery, but Laine is in Montreal now and he’s looking to turn over a new leaf. During his media availability on Monday, the forward spoke about his high-scoring expectations saying that he wants to do whatever it takes to help out the Canadiens but that he doesn’t want to be a 30-goal scorer but “a 40, 50-goal scorer.”
Laine returning return close to form will come down to a few factors, but most importantly sound coaching. Speaking of, Boudreau was asked about how Martin St Louis should handle the situation:
“Our job as coaches is to find the Achilles heel of the player and use that against him to make him play as good as he can for you. Some guys need a kick in the butt, some guys need a pat on the back…I don’t know Patrik, but I don’t think he’s the kind of guy that you can be hard on… But if you can communicate with him and you can get through to him… he comes back to form, then you have a real gem there.”
Laine spoke on St Louis, mentioning that players in the league are starting to take notice of his style. The time that the Lightning hall of famer spends with the players imbues a positive quality that promotes arriving as you are and growing into the best possible version you can be, at least in theory.
We will see if this growth presents itself further in young talent such as Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky as they take their next steps, but also with the newly acquired Finn. What approach St Louis has with Laine and the results will be one of, if not, the biggest storyline to follow this season for the Habs.
