Rocket Lineup

Rafael Harvey-Pinard – Jean-Sebastien Dea – Alex Belzile

Gabriel Bourque – Nate Schnarr – Joel Teasdale

Brandon Gignac – Cedric Paquette – Jean-Christophe Beaudin

Danick Martel – Cameron Hillis – Devante Smith-Pelly

Xavier Ouellet – Louie Belpedio

Corey Schueneman – Tobie Paquette-Bisson

Sami Niku – Corey Schueneman

Cayden Primeau – Kevin Poulin

Emil Heineman, Olivier Galipeau, Peter Abbandonato, Terrance Amorosa, Nicolas Mattinen, Owen Savory, Jesse Ylonen, Gabriel Mollott-Hill, Lucas Condotta, Kevin Roy

Gianni Fairbrother (undisclosed), Lukas Vejdemo (lower body)

Game Report

Game Report written by Michael Spinella

Tonight was the final home game of the regular season for the Laval Rocket.  Laval came into tonight’s game having lost the first of a back-to-back series at home against the Toronto Marlies on Wednesday night.  This loss extended their losing-streak to four consecutive games. Prior to Wednesday’s loss, in which they scored four goals, the Rocket had not scored more than one goal in each of their previous three games.

With Syracuse jumping ahead of the Rocket in the Northern division standings, Laval sits in third place heading into tonight’s game. Toronto could clinch a playoff spot with a win in this game.

Cameron Hillis and Cedric Paquette made their return to the Laval Rocket lineup. Hillis played his first game since March 7, 2022.  The Montreal Canadiens returned Cayden Primeau to the Laval Rocket ahead of tonight’s game and he would get the start. 

First Period

It was a high-energy start from both teams.  Laval earned some early offensive zone time and generated a number of scoring opportunities in the first minute.  Once Toronto cleared the zone, it did not take them long to strike first.  Paquette failed to move the puck up the ice and out of his own zone.  He fanned on a pass and gifted the puck to the Marlies, who were well set-up. Curtis Douglas put the puck past Primeau and Toronto took the early lead, 2:16 into the first period.

The Marlies 1-0 lead did not last long.  Just over three minutes later, Jean-Sebastien Dea tied the game up on a wraparound. Rafael Harvey-Pinard picked up the lone assist on the goal for Laval.  With the game now tied at 1-1, the Marlies and the Rocket seemed to exchange chances back and forth.

Tempers were flaring at the end of the period. A scrum began in front of the Marlies net that began with Alex Belzile and ended with Dea and Jack Kopacka heading to the penalty box. With each team short one man and only 36 seconds left in the frame, Louis Belpedio put Laval ahead by one goal.  Belpedio picked up his own rebound and bounced the puck off of Michael Hutchinson into the net.

Second Period

The Rocket came out flying in this period, with nine shots in the first three minutes.  Physicality was also on full display. There were a number of scrums along the boards throughout the period and Toronto’s Rich Clune always seemed to be in the thick of it. 

Once again, the Marlies scored the first goal of the period.  Joey Anderson deflected the puck past Primeau to tie the game up at two.  The 2-2 tie barely lasted a minute, as Laval would strike back.  Joel Teasdale set up Gabriel Bourque, who took the puck to the side of the net and put the puck over Hutchinson to regain the lead, 3-2.

The back and forth scoring did not end there, as the Marlies would tie the game up for the second time this period.  Tobie Paquette-Bisson took a tripping penalty 14:16 into the period.  Toronto only needed 10 seconds to score a power play goal.  The Marlies won the face-off cleanly, Brett Seney carried the puck along the blueline and found an open lane to Joseph Duszak, who deflected the puck past Primeau and in.

Third Period

The Marlies pulled ahead by one goal, when Anderson scored his second of the night at 10:45.  Another deflection in front of the Laval net would elude Primeau and end up in the back of the net.  Three minutes later Brandon Gignac scored a goal off of the rush for Laval.  Gignac, with one hand on his stick, swatted at a bouncing puck and roofed it over Hutchinson. The game was now tied 4-4 with a little over minutes left in the third.

Toronto’s Joseph Blandisi took a high-sticking penalty at 4:30, giving the Rocket a huge opportunity on the power play.  Laval generated a number of scoring chances but Hutchinson stood tall in the Marlies net. The game needed extra time to be resolved.

The Marlies’ Mac Hollowell took a slashing penalty with 3:22 left in overtime. The Rocket had another huge opportunity to put the game away on the power play.  After a number of scoring chances, Alex Belzile would bring the game to an end.  He shot high over top of Hutchinson to win the game in extra time.

What’s Next?

The Rocket’s four game losing-streak has ended.  With tonight’s win, Laval will remain in third place in the Northern Division.  The win is not currently enough to overtake Syracuse in the standings but it also prevented the Rocket from sliding down the standings any further.

Laval will play in Syracuse on Saturday night for their final game of the regular season.

Plus / Minus

▲ Xavier Ouellet, Brandon Gignac, Jean-Sebastien Dea

▼ Cedric Paquette, Cameron Hillis, Devonte Smith-Pelly