Rocket Lineup

Rafael Harvey-Pinard – Jordan Weal – Jesse Ylonen

Yannick Veilleux – Lukas Vejdemo – Alex Belzile

Joseph Blandisi – Ryan Poehling – Joel Teasdale

Brandon Baddock – Jan Mysak – Arsen Khisamutdinov

Corey Schueneman – Otto Leskinen

Tobie Paquette-Bisson – Cale Fleury

Nathanael Halbert – Josh Brook

Michael McNiven – Cayden Primeau

Liam Hawel, Hayden Verbeek, Jacob Leguerrier, Cameron Hillis, Vasily Demchenko, Guillaume Brisbois, Terrance Amorosa, Tristan Pomerleau, Michael Pezzetta, Jake Lucchini, Gustav Olofsson

N/A

Game Report

Game Report written by Chris G

The Rocket were back home following a three-game road trip this week. On Sunday, the Marlies were at the Bell Centre for the second match of the home-and-home series against Laval. Toronto won the first contest 4-3 on Friday at the Coca-Cola Coliseum. 

Marlies forward Scott Sabourin was suspended earlier in the day for one game for a sequence on Friday where he had a hard contact on Cayden Primeau and followed it with several punches thrown towards Lukas Vejdemo. 

Arsen Khisamutdinov and Brandon Baddock were inserted into the lineup, replacing Michael Pezzetta and Jake Lucchini. 

Michael McNiven obtained the start between the pipes. In his last start, he made 25 saves in a victory against Belleville on February 13th.

First Period

Laval took control of the game early on. During an odd-man rush, Lukas Vejdemo set up Yannick Veilleux for his third goal of the season. The goal was scored 3:34 into the contest, and it was Veilleux’s first goal in seven games.  

Vejdemo missed a golden opportunity to increase the lead on another odd-man rush. Otto Leskinen’s shot was stopped by Andrew D’Agostini, and the rebound went on Vejdemo’s stick who rung it off the post with a wide open net in front of him.  

The following minute, Rafael Harvey-Pinard found Jesse Ylonen in the slot, and he shot it on the post to the right of D’Agostini. 

Ryan Poehling increased Laval’s lead with a power play goal with 90 seconds remaining in the period. Poehling took a shot from the point that hit two Marlies defenders before hitting the back of the net. It was the Rocket’s first power play goal in eight games.

Second Period

D’Agostini did not return to the game following the intermission, and was replaced by Angus Redmond. 

Jan Mysak increased Laval’s lead to three goals on a spectacular individual play. Mysak striped the puck off Nic Petan in the neutral zone and skated straight towards the net and beat Redmond with a block side shot. It was Mysak’s second goal in three games. 

The Marlies got on the board while Josh Brook was serving a holding penalty. McNiven allowed a rebound on Alex Galchenyuk’s shot that Alexander Barabanov picked up for the goal. 

Through 40 minutes of play, the ice was tilted in Laval’s favour, outshooting their opponents 20-10.

Third Period

The Marlies took control of the third period. In the 12th minute, Poehling gave away the puck in behind of his own goal to Teemu Kivihalme. Kivihalme passed the puck to Petan for the goal. 

Veilleux scored the Rocket’s second power play goal of the night after receiving a pass from Jordan Weal. The assist was Weal’s first point in five games. 

Toronto pulled the goalie with the extra attacker with three minutes remaining and their strategy paid off with two goals. Mac Hollowell scored with 2:44 remaining, and Joey Anderson tied the game with 53 seconds remaining. The Marlies outshot the Rocket 12-4 in the period.

Five minutes of three-on-three overtime wasn’t enough to determine a winner. Alex Belzile was the only scorer in the shootout to give Laval the victory.

What’s Next?

The Rocket will host the Senators on Monday at 5:00 pm eastern time at the Bell Centre, before heading to western Canada for an eight game road trip. 

Be sure to scroll down for full audio from our AHL Report team and other members of the media in post-game interviews with Veilleux, McNiven, and Bouchard.

Plus / Minus

▲  Lukas Vejdemo, Yannick Veilleux, Jan Mysak, Josh Brook, Cale Fleury

▼  Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Joel Teasdale, Corey Schueneman