Kevin Bieska makes his thoughts extremely clear on Patrik Laine's benching in third period

Modified Apr 24, 2025 05:50 GMT

NHL: Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs - Source: Imagn — NHL analyst Kevin Bieksa shared his thoughts on Patrik Laine's play (Source: Imagn)

Patrik Laine played zero shifts in the third period of Montreal Canadiens' Game 2 loss against the Washington Capitals, and ended the game with 10:10 minutes of play time.

Speaking postgame after the Capitals won 3-1 and took a 2-0 lead in the series, NHL analyst Kevin Bieksa spoke about Laine's benching on Sportsnet alongside Elliotte Friedman and others in the Sportsnet Panel. He said there was no chance Laine should have been on the ice.

"I won't be as nice as you. There's no chance you put him on the ice. You had a 14-to-5 shot advantage in the third. He doesn't play for the majority of the third," Bieska said. "You're saying, put him on with the goalie pulled? He hasn't created anything all game. He didn't have a very good first game. I think it's an easy decision. It's an easy choice.

"You got guys who are going — Jake Evans is going to work, was going," he added. "Those are the guys you have on instead of him. I don't think the upside is good enough. I don't think that one chance, because I think he's going to arguably turn the puck over just as much as maybe put the puck in the back of the net."

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Laine had an assist in Game 1, ending a five-game point drought. He also had five shots and three hits in that game.

Patrik Laine's even-strength play needs to improve

Patrik Laine has scored 33 points in 52 games this season, and 15 of his goals were scored on the power play. His even-strength play has been limited all year. Montreal needs him to help more when the team has the puck five-on-five. They also need more from him during key playoff moments.

Montreal captain Nick Suzuki was left feeling disappointed after the loss.

"I think we put up a pretty good fight in the third," Suzuki said via NHL.com. "Had a bunch of scoring chances that could have went in, but I think overall we’re not that satisfied with how we’re playing right now. We need to go home and regroup and really bear down in these next couple of games at home."

The Montreal Canadiens will look to bounce back and get back into the series in Game 3 in front of their fans at Bell Centre on Friday.

About the author

Abhilasha is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda. Holding a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, her interest in writing hockey was piqued after watching an NHL skills video on YouTube. The 2023 Stanley Cup Finale series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers was among the most iconic games she has seen and it left an impact on her.

Her reporting strengths include covering news stories and following stars like McDavid, Matthews and Alex Ovechkin, among others.

Abhilasha is a huge fan of the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche because of their skilled forwards, while her favorite players include Wayne Gretzky, Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Connor Bedard. For her, John Tortorella is the greatest coach ever.

Abhilasha has over 3 years of experience writing content for different products and websites, along with handling social media content for various brands. She values using credible sources when writing and likes to identify fake and false narratives.

Abhilasha’s hobbies include spiritual reading, staying updated on the latest makeup trends, fitness and exploring new destinations through travel.

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Edited by Veer Badani