As far as fit, one early theory on the yet-to-be-established relationship between Patrik Laine and John Tortorella was that the Columbus Blue Jackets head coach would go out of his way, would set aside his rigid views on how the game should be played, just to make the superstar player feel welcome.
I suppose we know now that Tortorella amends his moral code for no one.
On Monday night, in his fourth game since his trade from the Winnipeg Jets, Laine found himself in the exact position that the star player he was acquired for — Pierre-Luc Dubois — had became quite familiar with: glued to the bench for long stretches, including the final 26 minutes and 17 seconds in a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.