In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Zach Werenski responds to the comments made by Patrik Laine on his trade request from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres finally ended their winless streak after 13 games with a great performance from the whole team. Finally, Nikita Kucherov was assessed a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct for kneeing Matthew Tkachuk.
Werenski Responds to Laine’s Comments
As was written in the Dec. 23rd edition of this column, Laine was very candid about what led to his trade request from the Blue Jackets, stating that he felt the team was too comfortable losing and wanted to go to a team with better intentions. There was a lot more said, so check that out, but the comments from Laine clearly upset Werenski and many other Blue Jackets players.
The Blue Jackets defeated the Canadiens 5-4, and after the game, Werenski was asked about the comments from Laine and had a very open and honest response.
“Yeah. It’s unfortuante. As guys in here, and as a guy who’s been here, we were nothing but good teammates to him, nothing but good friends to him. For him to bash us like that, I think it’s just unacceptable. I hope he’s all right with whatever he’s dealing with tonight, but he didn’t finish the game. A couple hits and … yeah, i don’t know what happened, but it’s unfortunate. We were nothing but good teammates to him. For him to come in here and say all that, that’s bullshit. Definitely not happy about it and none of us in this room are happy about it. That speaks more about him than it does us.”
“Yeah, 100 percent. What’s he thinking saying that? It’s just incredible. I’ve got no more time for that. I don’t wanna talk about Patty anymore. I hope he’s all right. I just thought that was pretty ridiculous, to be honest.”
Zach Werenski’s response to Patrik Laine, via Aaron Portzline
While Werenski doesn’t wear the letter as the team captain, it is clear he is in a leadership role and is sticking up for the entire team. While he was clear about addressing the comments made by Laine, he also wished him the best as he suffered an upper-body injury, and did not return.
It was clear that the Blue Jackets players were giving Laine an extra bump wherever they could, and the fans at Nationwide Arena weren’t welcoming, either, with boos raining down every time he touched the puck.
Sabres Snap 13-Game Winless Streak
Whether you are someone who classified the streak the Sabres were on as a losing streak, or a winless streak due to extra points, it has been snapped. After their last win on Nov. 23, 2024, the Sabres were in a divisional playoff spot with a .548 points percentage through 21 games, trailing just the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division.
With exactly one full month between wins, the Sabres have fallen to 30th in the league, ahead of only the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks.
There have been countless rumors and storylines to follow throughout the losing streak, whether it be with head coach Lindy Ruff, trading their star center Dylan Cozens, or when owner Terry Pegula met with the team to give his vote of confidence. Now that the streak is over and the Sabres and the rest of the NHL are into the holiday break, hopefully, it can be a reset for them and come out of the break strong.
The win came against the New York Islanders, who have been struggling themselves. A 7-1 win from the Sabres, led by a four-point game from Rasmus Dahlin, and multi-point games from Jiri Kulich, Jack Quinn, and Cozens led the way offensively and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was great in the crease. It was a great performance from the entire team and should give them confidence in themselves once the NHL resumes.
Kucherov Ejected for Kneeing Tkachuk
The Battle of Sunshine State has been developing into a fierce rivalry over the past few seasons, and to kick things off in a game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, the Lightning took a three-goal lead in the first period, but in the dying minutes of that opening frame, Kucherov earned himself a game misconduct and a five-minute penalty for kneeing.
Related: Oilers & Panthers Are Still the Teams to Beat in the NHL
As Tkachuk was skating across the ice, Kucherov had him lined up for what looked like a massive incoming hit. Unfortunately for both players, Tkachuk had his leg extended out as he shifted his weight and Kucherov missed the majority of the body of Tkachuk, making heavy contact with his leg.
There is plenty of debate online about the intent of the hit, and whether or not Kucherov was aiming to injure Tkachuk, but there was some contact with the hip as well as the leg, regardless, Kucherov was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct.
Tkachuk would crawl toward the bench and wave for the trainer, but would ultimately return to the game early in the second period. There has been no indication that Kucherov will have any supplemental discipline at this time, but that could change.
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