Laine says he won’t shy away from blocking shots

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This article was published 23/03/2018 (2730 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Patrik Laine insists a foot injury suffered when he absorbed Los Angeles Kings defenceman Alec Martinez’s shot Tuesday night isn’t going to alter his approach to shot-blocking.

The 19-year-old Winnipeg right-winger was a respectable 12th on the team in blocked shots with 39 entering Friday’s action. As you might expect, seven of the club’s top shot-blockers are defencemen, led by Josh Morrissey’s 156. Captain Blake Wheeler is the top forward with 62 blocks.

“No, it’s your duty as a player,” Laine said Friday morning. “It doesn’t matter if you’re playing on the first line or fourth line. You’ve gotta block a shot if you have a chance. Sometimes, it’s gonna hurt, but it doesn’t matter. It’s one for the team.”

Will he take the extra precaution of wearing shot-blocker technology on his skates?

“Yeah, I guess I have to,” Laine said.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice did not insist on the equipment change.

“He’s going to wear them tonight, but I don’t change players’ equipment,” Maurice said. “I wouldn’t do that to a guy. You change something on a player or demand he changes his game somehow and he doesn’t want to, what he’s thinking about on the bench is, ‘These damn blockers — if I didn’t have them on, I would have scored that last one.’ But he’ll wear them. They’ve almost all got them built into their skates now anyway.”

All-round performer

Recent newcomer to the Jets, defenceman Joe Morrow, standing beyond the crowd of reporters huddled around Laine Friday morning, said he’s been impressed with the Finnish teen — beyond his remarkable ability to fire the puck.

Morrow said the manner in which Laine conducts himself off the ice reminds him of another talented young European player whose debut came with much fanfare in Boston.

“When David Pastrnak first started out, he was a highly touted player, and from city to city there was a lot of media attention, just like Patty gets. I think it forces you to grow up a little faster than the normal pace,” Morrow said. “It could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the kid’s personality, but Patty seems to handle it pretty well and enjoys the experience the being the centre of attention.”

After scoring a combined 25 goals in 97 games during his first two NHL seasons (2014-16), Pastrnak, a 21-year-old from the Czech Republic, registered 34 goals and 70 points with the Bruins last season and is up to 28 tallies and 40 helpers in 2017-18.

“Pastrnak’s the same way as Patty. He loves playing the game and all the things that come with it. You sign up for it and it comes with the territory,” said Morrow, acquired from the Montreal Canadiens at the Feb. 26 trade deadline for a fourth-round draft pick this summer. “I just think (Laine) is very level-headed. He is a calm individual. Nothing gets him too up or too down. “It’s good to see he’s got a good group of guys around him.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @WFPJasonBell mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sawa14