It was so good, everyone, including the 20-year-old forward, is left struggling for explanations and comparisons.

“I don’t know, I’m starting to believe in myself again,” said Laine, who had three goals through his first seven games of the season. “I don’t think I’ve changed much. I’m just trying to believe and trying to work hard. I think success will come.”

It has.

Laine has 13 goals in his past six games, 18 goals in 12 games this month and 21 this season to lead the NHL in that category.

He scored two goals to help the Jets defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-5 at Bell MTS Place on Thursday, giving him 101 in the NHL.

Laine reached 100 goals in 179 games, the fastest in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history. Ilya Kovalchuk, now with the Los Angeles Kings, scored his first 100 NHL goals in 209 games with the Thrashers.

At 20 years, 224 days, Laine is the fourth-youngest player in NHL history to score 100 goals. Wayne Gretzky (20 years, 40 days), Jimmy Carson (20 years, 116 days) and Brian Bellows (20 years, 179 days) each were younger.

“Good to get it out of the way and try to chase 200 now,” Laine said.

Laine is the 10th player in NHL history to score at least 18 goals in a calendar month and is the first since Pavel Bure of the Vancouver Canucks, who scored 19 in March 1994. Via: NHL.com