During a press conference, head coach Martin St-Louis compared Patrik Laine to one of the greatest Montreal Canadiens legends.
Even though he couldn't add his name to the scoresheet in his first pre-season game with the Montreal Canadiens last night, Patrik Laine showed glimpses of his great talent.
Against the Philadelphia Flyers, he was flying on the ice and going through players like a hot knife through butter. Despite not scoring, his line was constantly dominant on the ice. He seemed to already have chemistry with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, his projected linemates for the next season. They created a lot of chances and were very good in their transitions to the offensive zone.
Most importantly, Laine seemed to be appreciated by the fans. Every time he touched the puck, the crowd cheered for him:
After the game, head coach Martin St-Louis had some great words for Laine and compared him to the Montreal Canadiens' legend Guy Lafleur.
Here's what he said about how the fans' warm welcome to Laine reminded him of Guy Lafleur:
'I didn't know what was happening, to be honest, I wasn't focusing on the puck. I always looked away from the puck. And then I turned back, and he had the puck. And I realized what was happening. But I grew up watching Guy Lafleur, and it was a little bit of that.'
During the 1970s, Lafleur was dominating in the NHL. He won five Stanley Cups, three Art Ross trophies, two Hart Memorial trophies, and a Conn Smythe trophy between 1972 and 1979.
Every time he touched the puck, he used his great speed to reach the net and score. In his career, he played 1,126 games in the regular season and 128 in the playoffs. He tallied 560 goals and 793 assists in 17 NHL seasons with the Canadiens, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Rangers. He added 134 points, including 58 goals, in the playoffs.
St-Louis isn't comparing Laine's skills or accomplishments to Lafleur's, but rather the hype around the player. Fans have a reason to be excited about him: he's an elite player who's looking to thrive and help the team by scoring goals.
If he can stay healthy, he could be a complete game-changer for the Canadiens this season.
