The Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine is off to a sensational start under Martin St-Louis’ squad. However, it must be admitted that his success is mainly due to his exceptional, even historic, brilliance on the power play.

At 5-on-5, by his own admission, it’s more challenging.

That said, I personally believe he should be a little less hard on himself.

It’s true he’s not the most dominant player at even strength right now, but he’s coming off a major injury and has barely played in nearly two years.

He needs to give himself time.

«If there’s one thing to criticize about Patrik Laine since he started playing in Montreal, it’s that he’s terribly ineffective at even strength, and he’s the first to admit it.» – TVA Sports

They’re being harsh, but the point stands.

Patrik Laine Opens Up in an Interview with TVA Sports

Here’s an excerpt from his comments:

«It’s starting to get ridiculous that I can’t score at 5-on-5, but everything goes in at 5-on-4. I’ll try to ride this wave since it’s going well,» Laine said in an interview with TVA Sports.

It’s really starting to frustrate him, but he remains confident nonetheless.

«We have to keep working,» he added. «All the other lines are getting rewarded, and it’s great to see. It’ll be our turn soon.»

– Patrik Laine

He also reiterated how special it is for him to play at the Bell Centre and how much he loves playing in Montreal right now.

Laine, aged 26, has nine points in nine games this season, including eight goals, and is under contract (at $8.7 million per year) until 2026.

Laine has been on fire on the power play, let’s hope he finds his groove and starts scoring at even strength!