HC Martin St. Louis sends a message by benching Patrik Laine for majority of 3rd period in loss to Ducks

Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis sent a strong message after benching forward Patrik Laine during Sunday's loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

Laine was benched for the entire third period, a decision that raised eyebrows as the Canadiens desperately needed to score. He spent only 32 seconds on the ice in the third period, managing just one shift despite the pressing need for a goal.

Patrik Laine played just over 10 minutes in the game, and his level of engagement has often been described as not meeting expectations in recent performances.

"The effort has to be there,” the coach said postgame. "But the brain has to be there, too."

Kirby Dach also spent most of the game sitting on the bench.

“It’s not a game where they were helping us at one end or the other," St. Louis added.

Patrik Laine has been without a point in the last four games and has struggled to find his form lately. He has accumulated 18 points through 12 goals and six assists in 24 games this season.

Patrik Laine's Canadiens lose fifth straight

On Sunday, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Montreal Canadiens at Honda Center. The Ducks edged past the Canadiens with a 3-2 win, handing them their fifth straight defeat.

Joel Armia opened the scoring for the Canadiens, giving them a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal at 10:35 in the first period. Four minutes later, Christian Dvorak extended the lead to 2-0 before the end of the first period.

However, the Canadiens went on to blow their two-goal advantage, failing to score in the remaining periods. Mason McTavish scored at 13:37 in the second period to cut the deficit to 2-1, and just a minute later, Frank Vatrano tied the game for Anaheim.

Alex Killorn scored the game-winner for the Ducks at 11:11 in the final period.

"We have to come out next game and have our best game of the season," Montreal captain Nick Suzuki said. "We can't be losing these games and falling back in the standings, so we really have to find a way to win the next two on this road trip."

Laine and the Canadiens will hope to bounce back on their road trip when they face off against the bottom-placed San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. The puck drops at 10:30 p.m. ET.