Montreal Canadiens right winger Patrik Laine. David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Canadiens' Patrik Laine sends a strong message after being demoted

Originally posted on Habs Fanatics | By Elias Adaime | Last updated Feb 9, 2025 4:10 PM ET

Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine is going through a rough patch. He is the least-used forward by head coach Martin St. Louis at 5-on-5 and no longer seems to have his coach's confidence.

He must therefore take concrete actions to change that. We saw a glimpse of it Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.

There were a few short sequences like this where he sent a message to St. Louis, but he also did so in a press conference.

After losing his spot in the Canadiens' top six, he had a lot to say.

Laine responds publicly and sends a message on the ice with strong hits and solid defensive plays

Yes, we are focusing on the positives.

Let's recall what he recently said in a press conference:

"It's tough." said Laine. "Even if my body feels good sometimes and confidence isn't quite there, I need to contribute in other ways if my offensive game isn't clicking."

He seems to be accepting responsibility for his situation and is telling his coach that he wants to find a way to help the team in his own way.

On Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Laine's struggles continued, finishing with a -1 and only taking one shot all game in a 5-3 defeat.

We want to see more strong defensive plays and solid hits from Laine. It may also be interesting to see a proposed power play shake-up to spark his goal scoring.

This article first appeared on Habs Fanatics and was syndicated with permission.

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