Jets forward Patrik Laine is putting together an incredible rookie season, but there’s no denying that Sunday was a tough night for the rookie.
If you missed it, Laine ended up scoring the game-winning goal in the game against Edmonton. Unfortunately for him, it was in the wrong net (top).
To his credit, he stuck around after the game to answer questions from reporters.
“Everybody saw what happened,” said Laine, per the Winnipeg Sun. “I don’t know. I just tried to get rid of the puck right away. It was just a bad position for me and an unfortunate goal.”
As soon as he realized what he had done, Laine skated to the bench in shame. Jets captain Blake Wheeler made it a point to go sit next to him, put his arm around him and surely give him some encouragement.
Jets Captain Blake Wheeler consoles Patrik Laine after his own goal pic.twitter.com/9L9ig3eDes
— Marina Maher (@marinakmaher) December 12, 2016
“He’s 18-years-old and he feels terrible. These things happen. I’ve done it many times, it’s just a bad bounce,” explained Wheeler. “He’s done a hell of a job for us this year. He’s obviously a huge part of our team and you hate to see a guy have to feel that way after the game.”
It’ll be interesting to see how the 18-year-old responds in the following games.