RECAP | Rocket – Senators: Finally, A Road Win for Laval

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Photo by Belleville Senators

Laval Rocket vs Belleville Senators Game Recap: Line-up, Score, Game Report, Statistics, Highlights, Three Stars, Rocket Sports Media

FINAL | Regular Season – Game 58 | Wednesday, February 27, 2020
CAA Arena, Belleville, ON

ROCKET

Laval

4-1

SENATORS

Belleville

Photo by Belleville Senators

Rocket Lineup

Forward lines

Charles Hudon – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Kevin Lynch

Laurent Dauphin – Ryan Poehling – Jacob Lucchini

Yannick Veilleux – Lukas Vejdemo – Alexandre Alain

Michael Pezzetta – Justin Woods – Nikita Jevpalovs

Defense pairings

Gustav Olofsson – Josh Brook

Nathanael Halbert – Maxim Lamarche

Ryan Culkin – Cale Fleury

Goaltenders

Cayden Primeau – Michael McNiven

Scratches

Keith Kinkaid, Aaron Luchuk, Antoine Waked (suspended)

Injuries

Noah Juulsen (upper body), Alex Belzile (pectoral surgery), Hayden Verbeek, Joe Cox, Will Pelletier, Otto Leskinen, Nikita Jevpalovs, Evan McEneny, Joseph Blandisi

Game Report

Game Report written by Amy Johnson
 
After finally putting together a couple of wins on home ice last week, the Rocket looked to carry that momentum back out on the road in an attempt to claw their way back into a playoff position.
 
Jake Evans and Karl Alzner had been recalled to Montreal after the trade deadline, which meant Ryan Culkin drew into the lineup on this night, as well as Justin Woods, the new forward recently signed to a PTO. Cayden Primeau received his third consecutive start in net, with Michael McNiven dressed as the backup.
 
The opening 10 minutes of the game flew by pretty quickly, as both teams pressured in their respective offensive zones, but Primeau and Joey Daccord held their creases with some solid saves. Laval took two penalties during the opening frame, but the defense and penalty killers made sure that the Senators couldn’t find a way through to the net.
 
But just when it looked like the teams would go to the dressing room scoreless after one period, Maxim Lamarche bobbled the puck near the crease as he attempted to pass it up ice and out of the zone. Joseph LaBate was nearby and wasted no time in grabbing the puck and firing it into the Laval net with just three seconds left on the clock.
 
The second period provided some much-needed relief for Laval, as the Senators found themselves in the penalty box for a good portion of the frame. With two separate five-on-three opportunities, the Rocket managed to even the score at 1-1 thanks to a one-timer by Nikita Jevpalovs.
 
Later in the period, Jesperi Kotkaniemi was driving toward the net when he was hauled down. He cleanly passed the puck toward the slot which Charles Hudon picked up as the trailer and easily put it past Daccord to give Laval a 2-1 lead.
 
Primeau stood strong through this game, and particularly in the third period. The Rocket found themselves shorthanded twice in the final frame, but the netminder and the defense in front of him looked strong. Jevpalovs potted his second goal of the night, an empty-netter, and then Laurent Dauphin did the same thing just nine seconds later to give Laval the win.
 
It’s the first road win in more than a month for the Rocket, against the top team in their division. They’ll need to carry this win with them as they continue their road trip on Friday night with a trip to Rochester and a visit with the Amerks.

Plus / Minus

▲  Cayden Primeau, Cale Fleury, Nikita Jevpalovs, Jesperi Kotkaniemi
 
▼  Maxim Lamarche, Ryan Culkin

The Numbers

 Game Statistics 
ROCKET   SENATORS
34 Shots 28
1 for 4 Power Play 0 for 5
10 Penalty Minutes 8
 Scoring Summary
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
Rocket (26-23-5-3) 0 2 2 4
Senators (35-17-4-1) 1 0 0 1
Scorers Goalies
  • LAV: Jevpalovs (6), Hudon (27), Jevpalovs (7), Dauphin (11)
  • BEL: LaBate (10)
  • LAV: Primeau (W) 15-10-3-3
  • BEL: Daccord (L) 14-6-2-1

Stars of the Game​​

 AHL Official Three Stars
  1. Cayden Primeau  LAV
  2. Charles Hudon  LAV
  3. Joseph LaBate  BEL

Watch

 Video Highlights 

What Did They Say?

 Post-game Interviews

Interviews conducted by Amy Johnson for AHL Report

Social Media

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Follow @theAHLReport on Twitter

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