Flash Laine brightens Winnipeg
The Winnipeg Jets can thank their own St. Patrik for their success this season and potentially for years to come.
Patrik Laine was the consolation prize in the 2016 NHL draft behind generational talent Auston Matthews.
But he has been a cause for celebration in Winnipeg as a franchise-changing superstar at age 19.
Mathieu Perreault, who spent the first four years of his NHL career with the Washington Capitals, saw the power Alex Ovechkin had to alter the direction of the Caps and turn them into a perennial playoff team.
When Laine arrived from Finland, the winger started doing the same things in Winnipeg.
“They became a very dominant team for many years,” ” Perreault said. “So you kind of sense that here, where the team’s been struggling for many years, not making the playoffs. And then you get this young kid coming in and scoring goals for your team and helps your team win games.
“I think coming up in Winnipeg we’ll have a dominant team for many years.”
With 16 goals and eight assists in his past 14 games, Laine has the longest point streak by a teenager and already passed Wayne Gretzky for the most NHL goals by a player before turning 20.
Laine is drawing comparisons to Ovechkin for his shot, which teammates and opposing goaltenders say is even more deceptive than the Russian 600-goal scorer’s blast.
Capitals goaltender Philipp Grubauer said Laine’s long stick changes the angle of where the puck is going.
“He shoots it, he pulls it in a little bit weird — long stick — and makes it really hard for us to read,” Grubauer said.
Entering Saturday, Laine was one behind Ovechkin and one ahead of Pittsburgh Penguins centre Evgeni Malkin in the race to win the Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal-scorer.
“It’s always been one of my dreams to win it,” Laine said. “It’s good motivation for me.”