Canadiens Star Better Hope His Diss Of Alex Ovechkin Doesn't Come Back To Haunt Him

You know how you’re not supposed to poke the proverbial bear? Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine just poked the worst bear possible.

The Canadiens kick off their Stanley Cup playoff campaign against the Washington Capitals at 7 p.m on Monday night. It’s the first time since the 2020-21 season that the Habs have made the playoffs, and just the fourth time in Laine’s nine-year career that he’s reached the postseason.

Patrik Laine (left) chose to disrespect Alex Ovechkin (right). Time will tell if that comes back to haunt him.

Montreal’s first test will be no easy one. Washington finished as the top overall seed in the Eastern Conference, and they boast the best goalscorer in league history in Alex Ovechkin.

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Given how strong the opponent is, you would think that Laine would want to walk a fine line between being confident in his and his team’s abilities without being cocky.

He did not do that at all.

When asked about the prospect of playing against Ovechkin on Saturday (someone Laine admired growing up), Laine completely disrespected "The Great 8."

"Doesn't matter. Couldn't care less," Laine said.

Look, Laine doesn’t have to act starstruck about playing against Ovechkin, or hesitate to believe that the Canadiens can hang with the Capitals (they certainly can). But he just started beef with the absolute worst person.

Ovechkin is one of the most talented players in the league, even though he is 39. He’s in the twilight of his career and wants to add another title to his legacy. Giving him extra motivation like this is the absolute last thing you want to do.

The series starts Monday night. Laine better hope he gets the last laugh, because if not, he’ll never hear the end of it.