The Winnipeg Jets have received another late-season injury season scare. Forward Patrik Laine left Tuesday’s game after blocking a shot against the Los Angeles Kings. Laine would not return. It is believed the winger was injured when he took a shot from Kings defender Alec Martinez off his leg, early in the second period. A Laine injury would be catastrophic for the Jets.
Patrik Laine will not return for the Winnipeg Jets tonight after blocking this Alec Martinez shot. pic.twitter.com/u9aCrRZaFj
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) March 21, 2018
Patrik Laine injury would be devastating for the Jets
Although it’s never pleasant to see any player get hurt, seeing Laine go down is sheer panic for the Jets. Laine has been an absolute offensive machine this year, exceeding already high expectations for this year. The forward never returned to the game but general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and head coach Paul Maurice will hope it’s a minimal injury for the red hot winger. Laine has 43 goals this year, trailing Alex Ovechkin by one goal for the NHL scoring lead.
If Laine’s injury is more serious, the Jets offence will most definitely take a hit. The team should still be relatively in good shape with the scoring of Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler and most recently Kyle Connor. Though their goals per game might decrease to a certain extent, they should be able to stay on track up until the playoffs.
Scoring Race
Although Laine has been hot all season, his last month of play has been even more impressive. Since February 1st to March 20th, Laine leads all NHL skaters in goals with 20. He’s also tied for fourth in points with Mikko Rantanen.
Stay tuned to Kast Word on Hockey, as we will be sure to update this article and bring you more as it becomes available.
