MONTREAL — Patrik Laine posted his first hat trick with the Montreal Canadiens, as his membership prolonged the Buffalo Sabres’ winless streak to 11 video games with a 6-1 victory on Tuesday night time.
Juraj Slafkovsky, Joel Armia and Josh Anderson additionally scored for Montreal, and Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson supplied two assists every and Sam Montembeault stopped 20 pictures.
It has been a protracted street for Laine, who made his Montreal debut earlier this month. He sat out the season’s first two months due to a knee harm after an offseason commerce from the Columbus Blue Jackets in August by way of Laine’s request.
“He is been working exhausting, coming to the rink each day, making an attempt to get higher,” Suzuki, Montreal’s captain, stated of Laine. “He is been doing the suitable issues again and again, and I am completely satisfied that he obtained rewarded.”
Laine was skating in his second preseason sport for Montreal in September when he collided knee-on-knee with Toronto Maple Leafs ahead Cedric Pare. Although Laine stated on the time the harm “may have been a lot worse,” it nonetheless set him up for a prolonged restoration.
Laine, 26, was restricted to solely 18 video games final season whereas rehabbing a damaged clavicle after which spending time within the NHL/NHLPA Participant Help Program from January to July.
He has had some type of harm almost each season for the reason that Winnipeg Jets chosen him second total within the 2016 NHL draft. Regardless of that historical past Laine made probably the most of his time in Columbus, averaging a degree per sport over two seasons in 2021-23.
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However his begin with the Canadiens has been sturdy. He now has six targets, and all three Tuesday night time got here on energy performs. It was his eleventh profession hat trick, and regardless of sitting out the beginning of the season, Laine is already tied for fourth in targets on the crew.
“Nice passes,” Laine stated of what his teammates are feeding him on the facility play. “They appear to seek out me, and you’ve got to have the ability to be open. Tonight was simply my flip.”
Montreal coach Martin St. Louis was a bit extra complimentary.
“We had been speaking about ardour [for the game] this morning, I believe that answered it proper there,” St. Louis stated, when requested about Laine’s enthusiasm for being on the Canadiens. “When a participant has that love, that zeal, they will work so much tougher at it. They’ll decide to all the pieces.”
Dylan Cozens scored for struggling Buffalo and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 15 saves on 21 pictures. Backup James Reimer stopped all six pictures that he confronted after coming into to start out the third.
The loss got here a day after Sabres proprietor Terry Pegula flew to Montreal for a crew assembly.
Armia scored solely 19 seconds into the sport, capitalizing on a wide-open web after Sabres defenseman Owen Energy mishandled the puck off the tip boards.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
