NHL Insider Shares His Take on the Feud Between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Patrik Laine
Jeff Marek shared his take on the feud between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine.
Two day ago, the Montreal Canadiens and the Columbus Blue Jackets met on the ice for their last game before the NHL's Holiday Break, marking the first game between the Blue Jackets and their former player Patrik Laine.
Laine's departure from Columbus didn't go smoothly, with the player suddenly asking to be traded out of the organization after only two seasons.
In an interview ahead of the game, Laine made his opinion very clear about the team, saying he was tired of losing and being a part of a losing culture:
"They're a little too satisfied and too comfortable where they're at. It wasn't really a fit for me anymore. But here (in Montreal), it doesn't matter if we're winning or losing, we're always trying our best. That's what I felt about it (in Columbus)."
While the Blue Jackets finished dead last in their division for the last two seasons, players didn't appreciate being told the truth about their team.
During the game, they put a target on Laine's back, obviously trying to injure him.
He eventually left the game after the first period.
Following the game, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski revealed that players didn't like hearing Laine's comments:
"Couple hits and I don't know what happened but it's unfortunate. We were nothing but good teammates to him so for him to come in here and say all that, it's bulls**t, Definitely not happy about it and none of us in the room are happy about it and I think that speaks more about him than it does us."
In a new development, the renowned analyst Jeff Marek shared his take on the whole situation:
Columbus doesn't have to agree with it, yeah, that's the way he felt, okay, that's the way he felt, and he moves on."You've given that team an issue now, the issue is everybody against Laine."
If he had made this declaration after the game, the whole thing could've been avoided. It'll definitely be interesting to see if it continues over the next season, as both teams aren't set to meet again on the ice this year.
