ROCKET
Laval

3-1

AMERICANS
Rochester

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Terry – Cracknell – Scherbak
Veilleux – McCarron – Gregoire
Petti – Audette – Waked
Boucher – Eisenschmid – Baun[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Gelinas – Taormina
Parisi – Juulsen
Bourque – Leblanc[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:
Lindgren
McNiven

Scratches:

Willie Corrin, David Broll, Thomas Ebbing, Brett Lernout

Injury List:

Jeremiah Addison (shoulder)

Game Report

After a very abbreviated Christmas break, the Laval Rocket headed out on their next road trip to reignite their series against the Rochester Americans.

The first period moved quickly, as did the Rocket. They had plenty of jump in their skates, however it took just over eight minutes to register their first shot on goal.

After Daniel Audette took a high-sticking penalty, Niki Petti looked to have put Laval on the board shorthanded but the goal was called back after review.

Then Markus Eisenschmid roofed the puck on a turnover to really put the visiting team up 1-0 over Rochester. Just minutes later, however, the Amerks created a ton of traffic in Charlie Lindgren‘s crease and managed to bang one home in the ensuing chaos.

In the middle frame, the Rocket really turned up the heat. They controlled the pace of play, the puck, and outshot their opponents 12-9. They played a textbook 20 minutes. But Linus Ullmark was up to the task at hand and managed to rob them on more than one occasion, including a pristine rush up ice along the boards by Michael McCarron who passed it perfectly to Jeremy Gregoire who shot the puck directly at the gaping net. But Ullmark got across just in time and swallowed the shot.

At the other end of the ice, Lindgren was completely locked in for the duration of this game. He tracked the puck well, and denied the Amerks of many good quality chances.

With tensions rising, and the game still tied at 1-1, Nikita Scherbak and Adam Cracknell combined just over three minutes into the third period to give Laval the go-ahead goal. Rochester fought hard to net an equalizer, but the defense and goaltender for the Rocket would not let them succeed.

Even the penalty killers were on top of their game tonight, having to battle through a four-minute high sticking penalty on Chris Terry, as well as a poorly timed boarding penalty by Scherbak in the final minutes of the game. Terry sealed the deal with an empty-netter with one second remaining.

This was an important win for Laval, and will provide a major confidence boost as they head to Belleville for a showdown with the Senators on Thursday night.

▲     Charlie Lindgren, Markus Eisenschmid, Nikita Scherbak, Tom Parisi

▼

1. Nikita Scherbak  LAV
2. Charlie Lindgren  LAV
3. Colin Blackwell  RCH

Post-game interview with Charlie Lindgren

Post-game interview with Markus Eisenschmid

Interviews conducted by Amy Johnson for AHL Report

.@Icebeardude making a DIVING glove save to keep it a 1-1 game. pic.twitter.com/7oYeIz3p89

— Rochester Americans (@AmerksHockey) December 28, 2017

With a 1.46 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage last week, @AmerksHockey goalie Linus Ullmark has been named our @CCMHockey / AHL Player of the Week.

→ https://t.co/NKtVJSfecj pic.twitter.com/zUBFlxK2EF

— AHL (@TheAHL) December 26, 2017

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