'It was pretty special:' Laine scores in Habs debut

MONTREAL (AP) — Patrik Laine made a rousing return after a year away from NHL action.

Laine made his debut with the Canadiens on Tuesday night, opening the scoring in Montreal's 2-1 overtime victory over the New York Islanders.

Laine hadn’t played a regular-season game in nearly a year, but his wicked release was still there. The Finnish sharpshooter received the puck, turned and sent a shot off the post and in on the power play 7:23 into the second period.

What followed was something unlike he’d ever witnessed.

“That was the most outrageous thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life,” Laine said.

He was swarmed by teammates while pumping his fists before fans stood up and unleashed a deafening ovation while the goal was announced. That scenario was repeated when Laine earned the game’s first star.

“It’s like, I don’t deserve this, not at all,” Laine said of the reception. “It’ll be something for sure I’ll remember forever, that was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, just getting that welcome.

“It was pretty special,” he added. “It’ll be in a very tight competition with my first-ever career goal, this one over here.”

Nick Suzuki scored the overtime winner as Montreal snapped a two-game skid. Sam Montembeault had a strong night in net, stopping 30 shots. It was a nice boost for the team in last place in the Atlantic Division which is near the bottom of the league standings for the fourth straight season.

But this night was about Laine and his long journey back to the ice.

The 26-year-old winger broke his clavicle as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 14. He then entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on Jan. 28 to focus on his mental health and wasn’t sure “if I was gonna ever play again.”

Laine was cleared to return on July 26, three weeks before his trade to Montreal offered a fresh start, but missed the first 24 games of the regular season after sustaining a left knee sprain during a preseason game against Toronto on Sept. 28.

He returned on Tuesday filled with nerves.

“I talked with my therapist about this, and I was a little nervous yesterday, and just decided that putting this jersey on today, it’s an achievement after everything,” Laine said. “Everything that comes after that is a plus. Doesn’t matter how it goes, I’m not going to have a bad game because I’ve worked too hard to get back to playing and put this jersey on.

“It was better than I expected.”

Laine also finished with two shots and two hits in 17:27 while skating on the Canadiens’ second line with Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky.

The former 44-goal scorer otherwise said he felt “awful pretty much the whole game” and a little rusty, but the Canadiens were happy to have him back.

“We’re all very aware of what he’s been through the last two, three years. We didn’t even know if we we’re gonna get him back in the preseason, it was kind of a murky situation,” Suzuki said. “For him to recover and get back and play like he did tonight, it was really cool to see. It inspired all of us tonight.

“I don’t think you could write it up any better. I mean, power play from his office, he’s been used to scoring the goals from there for a while.”

Montreal coach Martin St. Louis was impressed by the early returns after Laine featured on the Canadiens’ top unit.

“You always want to have a start like that,” he said. “We’re happy for him. I found he looked at ease to start, you saw his skills right away. I know he’s a guy who’s going to help our power play, you see when he has the puck he’s a player people respect a lot, it opens up other players. He has great patience, he’s calculated.”

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