(San Jose, California) After more than 500 NHL games, Patrik Laine does not need to be explained to him. It is the first to know that if his coach used him for only 32 seconds in the third period on Sunday, against the Ducks of Anaheim, it was not to congratulate him on his good work.

Some 24 hours after the events, the veteran sought neither to defend himself or to complain. After the training of his team, in San Jose, he agreed that “it is never pleasant” to end up in this situation. Never mind, for him and for his trio, “it didn’t work” in this match. “It’s as simple as that. »»

“There is no reason to be angry or frustrated, it will not help anyone,” he continued. Whether I play 25 or 10 minutes, I have to go back to work. »»

His center player, Kirby Dach, was also nailed to the bench against the Ducks. Its three last third presences totaled about a minute.

Failing to play, he wanted to “be there for his teammates”. “If you are not on the ice, you can encourage them, give them confidence and help them win,” he philosophy.

Without making big cases, Martin St-Louis nevertheless returned to his decision to make Laine and Dach think. He rarely cuts the ice time of his main offensive players. When it happens, it doesn’t matter to do it sparingly.

“As a coach, sometimes you are going to make a decision that you will regret the next day,” he noted. Or you will regret not having taken it. You have to try to listen to how you feel at that time. [Dimanche]I found that this line did not help us, from one side to the other. There was not much time left and we were running after the game. This is a decision you make. »»

Dach and wool destinies have been intimately linked since the Finn joined the main group, at the beginning of December. Not only did the two come back to the game after a long absence, but Dach is essentially the only center player with whom wool played in Montreal. This is not an exaggeration: the number 77 was on the ice for more than 90 % of the minutes that the number 92 to five disputed against five.

The coach staff first assigned them Juraj Slafkovsky, but Alex Newhook quickly took over to the left wing. Despite some good times, it would be difficult to describe this combination as a great success.

At some point, during the recent victorious series of CH, it seemed that the second trio had taken off. In Utah, he was downright dominant. Chemistry had finally settled. It was believed.

In the last four games, Newhook is the only one to have amassed a point – a mention of digital advantage help on Sunday. In the meantime, their global differential is at -13.

In fact, since December 3, the date of the first appearance of Patrik Laine in the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge uniform, the trio he formed with Newhook and Dach was the least performing the team at five against five. In proportion to his ice time, this unit considerably generates less anticipated goals and chances of scoring quality than that piloted by Christian Dvorak and, without surprise, than that of Nick Suzuki. On the defensive level, its yield is compared to that of the first trio, which is however opposed to adversaries of much greater quality.

Now that Laine and Dach have played 24 games together, has the experience arrived at the end of his useful life?

“I don’t know yet,” said Martin St-Louis. As the whole workforce crosses a wave, this combination is no exception, he insisted.

Nevertheless, in training, Laine made some presences on the left of Jake Evans and Joel Armia. We cannot draw from conclusions decided in the light of this experience, since defender David Reinbacher, who recovered from an injury, found himself to the right of Dach and Newhook.

However, it would not be eccentric to believe that Reinbacher actually replaced Josh Anderson, who was absent to undergo treatments. We will know more Tuesday evening, while the Canadian will face the Sharks.

Rather than feeling like their misfortunes, Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach preferred to say that they had to “get their sleeves”.

“There is no magic potion,” said Laine. We have to go back to the base, like when we won a lot. The tricolor, it must be remembered, has lost its last five outings.

If the center player assured that his confidence is not shaken, his teammate was more candid. “My confidence is not very high,” said Laine.

After the Finn spent almost a year without playing, due to injuries and mental health issues, Martin St-Louis had warned that his new protégé would need time to become the player he was.

We therefore asked the winger to assess where he was on this plan, two months after his return. According to him, his troubles have no connection with his physical form or his ease on the ice.

And to conclude: “I must continue to work. It has the merit of being clear.