David Savard isn’t the only key piece returning to the Montreal Canadiens lineup as they get set to take on the Dallas Stars. Not long after announcing Savard’s return from an upper-body injury, the Canadiens announced that star forward Patrik Laine is also returning to the ice.
Laine has been absent from the Canadiens lineup since New Year’s Eve due to an illness. In the four games he missed, the Canadiens went 3-1-0 with three consecutive wins coming in either overtime or a shootout.
Laine missed the first 24 games of the season with a lower-body injury suffered during a preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Since returning to the lineup from his lower-body injury, Laine has played in 13 games and has helped fuel a turnaround in the Canadiens season.
Over his 13 games, Laine has scored eight goals and two assists for 10 total points. All eight of Laie’s goals have come on the power play, but two of them have been credited as game winners.
Before Laine joined the lineup, the Canadiens had just an 8-13-3 record and near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Since Laine made his season debut, the Canadiens have gone 12-5-0 and have found themselves hovering around playoff positioning.
Getting Laine back in the lineup should help keep Montreal afloat in the standings.
The Canadiens are getting healthy and finding a rhythm. With one of the brightest young cores in the NHL and momentum on their side, the Canadiens could be a scary team to face with the playoffs on the line.
