Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Patrik Laine put on a show off the ice, as the Finnish winger fired back on social media after deciding he had enough of the growing criticism surrounding him.
The story began when Tony Marinaro’s podcast The Sick Podcast shared a clip in which Marc Dumont did not mince his words.
The analyst flat-out stated that number 92 was currently the worst player in the National Hockey League at five-on-five.
“Patrik Laine is arguably the worst 5-on-5 player in the NHL”
– Marc Dumont
In a market like Montreal, we can agree that a statement like that quickly sets things on fire. Instead of pretending nothing happened, Laine first «liked» the post before going on the attack.
Laine fires back sharply at Marc Dumont
He personally called out the journalist in the comments with a short phrase that says it all:
“How’s your game boii” – Patrik Laine
It’s a not-so-subtle way of telling him to mind his own business or look at his own talent before judging.
Let’s be honest, you rarely see a member of the Canadiens publicly arguing like this with local media.
This reaction shows that the big winger still has plenty of pride, even if the results are not there.
With his hefty contract, expectations are enormous and the pressure to produce becomes heavy to carry.
Laine has no goals in his last games and holds a -3 rating, which inevitably fuels discussion at the sports bar.
Management would surely prefer his response to come through strong execution and controlled zone entries rather than on Instagram.
It remains to be seen whether this frustration will turn into motivation for the next game at the Bell Centre.
It’s rare for a player to grow tired of Montreal’s public spotlight, but Laine did so with unapologetic arrogance.
If it can give him a spark in his offensive production, fans will quickly forget the incident.
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Patrik Laine responds after Marc Dumont calls him NHL’s worst 5-on-5 player
Is Patrik Laine right to respond to journalists on social media?