Laine makes quick impression in front of ‘outrageous’ crowd in Canadiens debut

Laine hadn’t played a regular-season game in nearly a year, but his wicked release was still there. The Finnish sharpshooter received the puck, turned and went off the post and in on the power play 7:23 into the second period.

What followed was something unlike he’d ever witnessed.

Teammates swarmed him while he pumped his fists before Canadiens fans stood up for a deafening ovation while the goal was announced, a scenario that repeated when Laine earned the game’s first star.

“It’s like, I don’t deserve this, not at all,” he said of the reception he’s receiving. “It’ll be something for sure I’ll remember forever, that was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, just getting that welcome.”

“It was pretty special,” he added. “It’ll be in a very tight competition with my first-ever career goal, this one over here.”

Nick Suzuki buried the overtime winner for Montreal (9-13-3) at 2:39, following up his own rebound as the Canadiens snapped a two-game skid. Sam Montembeault had a strong night in net, stopping 30 shots.

But the night was about Laine and his long journey back to the ice.

The 26-year-old winger broke his clavicle as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 14 last year. He then entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on Jan. 28 to focus on his mental health and wasn’t sure “if I was gonna ever play again.”

Laine was cleared to return on July 26, three weeks before his trade to Montreal offered a fresh start, but missed the first 24 games of the regular season after sustaining a left knee sprain during pre-season play against Toronto on Sept. 28.

He returned on Tuesday filled with nerves.

“I talked with my therapist about this, and I was a little nervous yesterday, and just decided that putting this jersey on today, it’s an achievement after everything,” Laine said. “Everything that comes after that is a plus. Doesn’t matter how it goes, I’m not going to have a bad game because I’ve worked too hard to get back to playing and put this jersey on.

“It was better than I expected.”

Laine also finished with two shots and two hits in 17 minutes 27 seconds while skating on the Canadiens’ second line with Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky.

The former 44-goal scorer otherwise said he felt “awful pretty much the whole game” and a little rusty, but the Canadiens were sure happy to have him back.

“We’re all very aware of what he’s been through the last two, three years. We didn’t even know if we we’re gonna get him back in the pre-season, it was kind of a murky situation,” Suzuki said. “For him to recover and get back and play like he did tonight, it was really cool to see. It inspired all of us tonight.

“I don’t think you could write it up any better. I mean, power play from his office, he’s been used to scoring the goals from there for a while.”

Montreal bench boss Martin St. Louis was impressed by the early returns after Laine featured on the Canadiens’ top unit.

“You always want to have a start like that,” he said. “We’re happy for him. I found he looked at ease to start, you saw his skills right away. I know he’s a guy who’s going to help our power play, you see when he has the puck he’s a player people respect a lot, it opens up other players. He has great patience, he’s calculated.”

The Canadiens need a boost as the last-place team in the Atlantic Division, sitting near the bottom of the league for a fourth straight season.

St. Louis, with an entirely healthy lineup for the first time this season, felt a difference on Tuesday.

“I felt the depth of our lineup today,” he said. “When you have that depth you feel you can come in waves, you’re not so worried about matching up so much, you can kind of get more into rhythm. You still need to make decisions, where certain faceoffs are on the ice and stuff, but I just felt I wasn’t so preoccupied at trying to match.”

Laine, meanwhile, was happy to have his sister and fiancée in the stands for the moment.

“I’m sure they were pretty emotional to see that as well,” he said. “I think I deserve some kind of treat when I go home, maybe some ice cream or something.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Laine makes quick impression in front of ‘outrageous’ crowd in Canadiens debut

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