While the Montreal Canadiens had a day off yesterday, Patrik Laine was working for a good cause.
While the Montreal Canadiens had a day off yesterday, injured sniper Patrik Laine was working to raise money for a Movember initiative spearheaded by Germano Mustone from Cugini's Pizza with the help of first Hall of Fan inductee and Habs Cave owner Sunil Peetush, GM Collections, the From Us to You foundation, and numerous sponsors.
From 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Laine met with fans at Cugini’s Pizza in Pierrefonds and signed autographs in exchange for a $50 donation to the cause. When all was said and done, over $20,000 was raised for Movember, making the event a resounding success.
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The big Finn is currently sidelined after undergoing core muscle surgery in October, a procedure that was set to keep him out of action for three to four months. After all the injuries he has already been through throughout his career, the situation can’t be easy for the winger, but he still finds ways to make an impact on the community.
Even before his injury, Laine wasn’t having a great time this season, finding himself on the Canadiens’ fourth line; he had only recorded an assist in the five games he played in. This is not the offensive production he was hoping for, and while he was making every effort to play the kind of complete game that coach Martin St-Louis preaches, it doesn’t come easily to him. Even on the power play, he was struggling to find his synchronism back to unleash his trademark one-timer.
That scoring touch is not something you lose, though, and I have little doubt that he would have found his synchronism back with time. His rocket of a shot would definitely be helpful right now. The Habs’ power play is struggling to put up the same kind of numbers it was earlier in the season, before the rest of the league had had time to study its patterns and rookie Ivan Demidov.
According to the timeline provided by the Canadiens following surgery, Laine should be ready to return to action in either January or February. While some were ready to say he had played his last games with Montreal, the injury plague that’s currently affecting the team is a stark reminder that you can never have too many talented players. After fracturing his ankle and undergoing surgery, Alex Newhook is set to miss four months. Kirby Dach is set to miss four to six weeks because of a fracture in his foot.
When Laine recovers from his surgery and is ready to get back on the ice, the Canadiens would be wise to give him another chance. His effort level was fine at the start of the season, and he truly seems to love Montreal. Given how many fans turned out for his signing event, they haven’t given up on him, and nor should the Tricolore.
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