Low-key approach, high praise

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This article was published 20/10/2016 (3258 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After Patrik Laine set the hockey world on fire Wednesday night with an astonishing hat trick in only his fourth NHL game, the 18-year-old rookie’s celebration was modest. Laid back, even.

“I had half the bowl of ice cream,” Laine said Thursday afternoon, recalling the aftermath of rallying the Winnipeg Jets from a three-goal third-period deficit to a 5-4 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“Just half. My girlfriend ate the other half. That was my celebration.”

Laine’s low-key approach suggests this is nothing out of the ordinary for the sensational Finn. He may be just getting started.

Each of Wednesday’s goals were remarkable in their own way.

On the first, Laine spun with a rolling puck on his stick before chipping it over Leafs goalie Frederick Andersen’s shoulder. The second, a howling one-timer after a pass from Nikolaj Ehlers, sent the game into overtime. The third, the winner, presented itself when Laine roared down on a 2-on-1 break and blew a wrister past Andersen on the short side. 

“I think I showed… people I can make those plays when there’s not too much time left,” said Laine. “I think I’m pretty good at those moments, and it’s good to see the coaches are giving me the ice time when we need to score.”

Jets centre Mathieu Perreault watched in awe.

“That was pretty special,” said Perreault. “It seems like the bigger the moment, the bigger he plays. He’s done it against Carolina (in the season opener). He could have a quiet night — you don’t see him much — but when we need it, when our backs are against the wall, we have someone to get something happening — he gets it done. He’s a big-time player.”

Laine’s quiet pre-season, after serving in a primary role with the Finnish squad at the World Cup of Hockey tournament, encouraged skeptics who believed the No. 2-overall choice in the 2016 draft was unlikely to be much of a factor early in his NHL career.

“He kinda had a slow training camp… people were kinda asking questions — what’s this kid about?” said Perreault. “Now we’re starting to realize he shows up in big, big moments. That’s what great players do.” 

As expected, standout performances by young players invite comparisons to older, more established stars.

In Laine’s case, he has been associated with a legend: Finnish superstar Teemu Selanne. Selanne has advised him in recent months, but Laine clearly wants to be his own man.

“Yes, he was a great person. I know that, but I don’t want to model (myself after) anybody,” said Laine. “I want to be who I am. I don’t have to pretend anything. I’m going to be like this the rest of my life.”

If Laine aspired to play in hockey’s best league and on the sport’s biggest stage, he’s in the right place. He will join his teammates at Sunday’s Heritage Classic where the Jets will take on the Edmonton Oilers in a regular-season game before more than 32,000 fans at Investors Group Field.

Captain Blake Wheeler, who skates with Laine on Winnipeg’s top line, has been encouraged by his team’s recent ability to stage a comeback. The Jets also rallied from a 4-1 deficit in their regular-season home opener to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 in overtime.

“I don’t know if we did it at all last year,” Wheeler said of the comeback. “But to just know, no matter what, if we’ve got time on the clock, we’ve got a chance. It’s going to come in handy again at some point. Hopefully, you’re not in that spot too many more times.

“We’ve got to get on the same page, get everyone working in the same direction. I think we got a little pissed off (in) the third period and that was the result.”

Wheeler, who suited up with the Boston Bruins for the Winter Classic at Fenway Park on Jan. 1, 2010, warned being the host team for an outdoor spectacle such as this can be a trap.

“There’s going to be a lot of attention on the game, (it) can be a positive or a negative, depending on how you handle it,” he said. “It can be a distraction if you get too caught up in it. We’re excited about getting a big win last night, so, hopefully, we can approach it the right way.”

Laine was joined by blue-liner Tyler Myers for a preview of the Heritage Classic site Thursday.

Myers has yet to play in one of the NHL’s outdoor games and hasn’t played outside since he played shinny on man-made lakes near his home in Calgary more than a decade ago.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Myers. “It’s looking good when the stadium’s empty. I can’t imagine what it’ll look like packed with a bunch of Jets fans. I’m sure it’ll be quite the experience.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14