Feast or famine for Jets’ Laine

Phenom has yet to score a goal this month

The calendar page has turned, and so have the fortunes of Patrik Laine.

The man who claimed November as his own by scoring almost at will hasn’t been able to buy a goal in five games this month.

That equals the longest drought the Winnipeg Jets phenom has had this season.

Laine himself has no idea how these things work.

“I’ve been playing hockey for many years. It doesn’t always go in,” he was saying Monday. “Every hockey player knows that. It doesn’t matter because we’re still winning as a team and that’s the most important thing.

“But eventually they’ll go in, like you saw last month.”

Laine’s last five-game dry spell ended with that hat trick in Helsinki.

By this time in November, he’d scored five. Taking three games to catch his breath, he scored 11 in his next four games, including five goals on five shots against St. Louis.

Those same hands have come up empty in 11 shots over the last five games.

Laine did end a four-game pointless streak with two assists Sunday against Philadelphia, at least beginning to balance a stats line (21-5) that still looks more like a Cy Young Award-winning season than it does a 29-game glimpse into one man’s hockey year.

But if you’re trying to sell the idea that a nice apple is as good as a goal, Laine’s not buying that, either.

“No, no, no,” Laine said. “Never. Never.”

Tell us how you really feel, Patrik.

“I don’t really care about assists. It doesn’t really matter to me. Points are always points, and I’ll take them. But I’m not worrying about that too much.”

Having said all that, No. 29 does want people to know he’s more than just a pretty shot.

“Obviously it’s only my opinion, but I think I’ve showed in these 180-something games that I’ve played that I’m a pretty good passer, too,” Laine said. “I think I have good vision and I can still see the plays, and sometimes make the plays as well. Obviously everybody’s just talking about my shot and my scoring ability, but I think I’m a pretty good passer, too.”

BRAGGING RIGHTS

It turns out there’s a little competition between the Jets’ two power play units.

And for one of the few times this season, the second unit was lording it over the first after it popped two goals in Sunday’s 7-1 win over Philadelphia.

“It felt pretty good,” a chuckling Nik Ehlers said. “Patty has a great shot and you want to see him get that shot off, of course. But when the other team’s PK is doing good at taking that pass away or that shot away, you’ve got to find new ways.”