Rocket Lineup

Anthony Richard – Brandon Gignac – Lucas Condotta

Rafael Harvey-Pinard – Alex Belzile – Jesse Ylonen

Gabriel Bourque – Mitchell Stephens – Pierrick Dube

Joel Teasdale – Peter Abbandonato – Olivier Galipeau (seventh defenseman)

Nicolas Beaudin – Corey Schueneman

Mattias Norlinder – Justin Barron

William Trudeau – Tory Dello

Kevin Poulin – Joe Vrbetic

John Parker-Jones, Otto Leskinen

Gianni Fairbrother (knee), Nate Schnarr (lower-body), Cayden Primeau (upper-body), Madison Bowey (upper-body), Jan Mysak (DTD), Danick Martel (DTD), Justin Barron, Xavier Simoneau (upper-body)

Game Report

Game Report written by Amy Johnson

Back-to-back wins. That’s a phrase that hasn’t been uttered in regards to the Laval Rocket yet this season, at least not until this week. With an important win on Utica on Wednesday night to kick off a four-game road trip, the Rocket finally put together consecutive victories and looked to continue the streak this weekend in Cleveland.

With a number of injuries still plaguing the lineup, Jean-Francois Houle didn’t have many options for roster movement. Additionally, the weekend’s start times certainly could shake up the team’s regular game-day rhythm and routines. Saturday’s matchup against the Monsters began bright and early at noon sharp.

First Period

Jesse Ylonen must have had his morning coffee, because he scored a goal less than four minutes into the game. It was a clear snap snot from the left circle, with the puck sailing past Jet Greaves in net.

Unfortunately, Lucas Condotta then took a tripping penalty immediately afterward, putting the Rocket’s penalty-killers against the top-ranked power play in the league. Emil Bemstrom wound up a big slapshot from the left circle on the man-advantage to even the score at 1-1.

But soon after, Pierrick Dube gobbled up the puck in the offensive zone after a Monsters turnover at the blue line and quickly fired off a wrister to restore Laval’s lead.

Things settled down through the second half of the period, that is until Justin Barron wired a slapper from the blue line into the Cleveland net just 55 seconds before the end of the period.

Second Period

Just 16 seconds into the frame, Brandon Davidson put an almost-mirror image slapshot from the point on net and the puck easily zipped past Kevin Poulin. 

As happened in the opening period, however, Laval almost immediately then took penalty. This time it was Tory Dello heading off for interference. 11 seconds into the power play, Benstrom scored his second of the game. A quick shot from the top of the circle to tie the game.

Cleveland then took a penalty of their own and the Rocket were able to capitalize on the ensuing power play. Mitchell Stephens put the puck past Greaves on a wraparound attempt to pull the Rocket back into a 4-3 lead.

A too-many-men penalty by the Monsters put Laval back on the man-advantage with a little over 11 minutes remaining in the period, however it was negated when Alex Belzile was found guilty of goaltender interference. What followed was about a minute and a half of four-on-four hockey, before Cleveland got a short power play of their own.

The Rocket maintained their one-goal lead through the end of the period, however a late penalty by Anthony Richard, with just nine seconds left before intermission, meant that the Monsters would have a substantial power play to begin the third.

Third Period

Laval looked as if they would be able to come out of the penalty kill unscathed, but with just 17 seconds left before five-on-five play resumed, Trey Fix-Wolansky fired a shot from the circle to bring the score even again.

Cleveland then went on to take their first lead of the day when Billy Sweezey put a puck on net and Brett Gallant was well-positioned in front of the crease to tip it in past Poulin.

With that shift in momentum, the Monsters started to fully pour on the pressure. Despite plenty of coverage down low, Josh Dunne managed to muscle his way around below the net and finish off a wraparound goal to give the Monsters a two-goal lead.

Joona Luoto took advantage of Poulin making an early exit to the bench for an extra attacker and put a puck into the empty net to make it 7-4 for Cleveland.

What’s Next?

Plus / Minus

▲ Justin Barron, Brandon Gignac, Mitchell Stephens, Jesse Ylonen

▼ Alex Belzile, Anthony Richard, Lucas Condotta, Gabriel Bourque