ROOKIE RIVALRY, ROUND TWO: MATTHEWS, LAINE MEET AGAIN
The freshman scoring lead, and a big W, are up for grabs in this showcase matchup
Here you have the first overall NHL draft pick — Matthews — playing against the second overall pick. … The battle could not be more intriguing if it had been scripted.
Patrik Laine wasn’t made available to the media Sunday or Monday, but we didn’t really need him to tell us the kinds of things he’s likely to say about facing Auston Matthews in a clash of the rookie titans on Tuesday.
My guess is it would go something like this: “I’m not going to play against him. It’s Toronto against Winnipeg. It’s obviously nice to play against him and see where we’re going as players, but it’s just team against team and just a normal game.”
Those were Laine’s words on Oct. 19, on the day the Jets played their first game of the season against the Leafs — and wasn’t that a memorable one? — and it would be surprising if he says anything more provocative Tuesday.
However, those words do no justice to the magnitude of what will happen on the ice in Toronto. This is not just another game. It’s far too engaging a matchup for that.
Here you have the first overall NHL draft pick — Matthews — playing against the second overall pick — Laine — with both teams in playoff contention and both players running neck and neck in the race for the rookie of the year award.
They both have 28 goals and are close in points — Laine with 52 points in 54 games, Matthews with 49 in 58. The battle could not be more intriguing if it had been scripted.
A rivalry that rivals the one between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin has been building since before the NHL entry draft last June. Laine famously said he believed he should be the first overall pick instead of Matthews, who was the consensus choice of scouts.
He has softened his words since joining the careful Jets organization, but his performance on the ice has backed up those original statements. Even though he missed eight games with a concussion, Laine is making a strong case for the Calder Trophy. He was named the NHL’s first star of the week after scoring five goals and eight points in the last four games and retaking the rookie scoring lead from Matthews and his Leafs teammate Mitch Marner. The 18-year-old is the first player in NHL history to record three hat tricks before his 19th birthday.
There are many people who believe the big Finn has no chance of winning the award due to a perceived Eastern bias among voters, but nobody will be able to ignore his eye-popping numbers. You could also throw in the fact the Jets are 16-2-2 when Laine scores at least one goal. That’s not a coincidence.
As for Matthews, he has been outstanding as well and is one of the main reasons the Leafs are contending for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. He scored a beautiful goal in Sunday’s 4-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes (if you haven’t seen it, watch it).
Laine and Matthews are both just four goals off the NHL lead, held by future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby. They both have more goals than the best sniper of this generation — and Laine’s boyhood idol — Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who has 27.
Making all of this even juicier is the fact the head-to-head matchup will take place in the centre of the hockey universe, with the hype machine in overdrive.
Think about the amount of media attention Laine gets in Winnipeg and multiply it by 50 for Matthews in Toronto. Bring them together for a meaningful game at the end of February and you’ve created a perfect storm.
This is just Round 2 of what could be a long and intense rivalry. Laine was the clear winner in Round 1, scoring his first NHL hat trick, including the winner in overtime, on Oct. 19.
We’re about to find out what he will do for an encore — or will Matthews steal the stage?
Either way, the show will be a hit.