Jets start slumping Laine on 4th line vs. Maple Leafs
Is Patrik Laine in Paul Maurice's doghouse?
The Winnipeg Jets forward started Saturday night's tilt against the Toronto Maple Leafs on the fourth line.
Laine received a mid-game demotion on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings.
The winger has been ice cold to start the 2018-19 campaign, as he's failed to score at even strength through 11 games after finishing second in the league with 44 goals a year ago.
If Maurice is frustrated with the lack of production from his sniper, he didn't show it while speaking to reporters on Saturday.
Maurice insists that Laine's demotion was made because Mathieu Perreault was buzzing and he wanted to give him more ice time. He also came to Laine's defense when asked what he needs to start seeing out of the youngster.
"He's 20. He's going to keep getting better," Maurice told TSN's Mark Masters.
Laine still logged 17 minutes on Friday despite the mid-game demotion - primarily because the Jets had five power plays.
Here's what Winnipeg's lines will look like for Saturday's contest, according to Daily Faceoff.
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Nikolaj Ehlers | Mark Scheifele | Blake Wheeler |
| Kyle Connor | Bryan Little | Mathieu Perreault |
| Andrew Copp | Adam Lowry | Brandon Tanev |
| Brendan Lemieux | Jack Roslovic | Patrik Laine |
The Jets and Maple Leafs just met on Wednesday, with Toronto coming out on top 4-2.