VANCOUVER — “You’ve got to earn your ice time around here. That’s how you win.”
Those were the words Rick Tocchet used late Sunday night when asked about the (limited) time on ice allotted to his three best offensive players — Elias Pettersson (16:05), Brock Boeser (15:49) and Jake DeBrusk (12:45) — in a game his Vancouver Canucks lost 4-1 to the Dallas Stars.
They’re also the words that apply to one high-scoring Montreal Canadien who wants more ice time and needs to earn it.
Because Patrik Laine can make a difference for this team right now. As Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes put it after last Friday’s trade deadline passed, “He brings offensive talent that isn’t found around the league,” and…