It feels like a long time ago, but at one point there was actual optimism surrounding the Montreal Canadiens. The vibes were actually pretty good entering the pre-season game on September 28. Then, within the first four minutes of the game, David Reinbacher and Patrik Laine left the game with serious knee injuries.
Reinbacher’s might end up more consequential long term, but Laine was brought in to help this team take the next step. The news regarding his injury ended up being much better than expected or than it looked. The proof is that in the Canadiens’ first game after the calendar moves to December, Laine is expected to make his debut with the team.
Despite the relative good news regarding Laine, the mood around the team was not just no longer optimistic, it was downright pessimistic. Not again. It wasn’t only the fanbase that was affected. The Canadiens didn’t play their top line for the remainder of the pre-season and was very selective about which players played in games. Their preparation for the season was thrown completely off.
It is absolutely not fair to pin all of the team’s troubles down to the Laine injury and their reaction to it, physically or emotionally. It just didn’t help. If at the beginning of the season, you were told that the Canadiens would be only one point behind the Nashville Predators, who added Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos in the off-season, you might have been pleasantly surprised. Reality is, they are battling for 30th spot in the NHL.
Laine’s return, especially considering he hasn’t played a game in months, won’t come with expectations that he may crack 30 goals and lead this team to the playoffs but what he can provide is arguably even more important. He can provide a much-needed emotional boost to a team that has been through a rough time. You can stand on a high horse and preach about how these are professionals and it shouldn’t matter but they are human first.
They know that Laine fought hard to get back to a point where he could play, and saw that taken away from him before he could even get started. On Tuesday, it’s one more step towards that.
In a season where wins are hard to come by, you need to enjoy the ones you can get. This is one, and it might lead to more wins where it matters, too.
