Rocket Lineup

Charles Hudon – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Kevin Lynch

Alexandre Alain – Phil Varone – Riley Barber

Yannick Veilleux- Matthew Peca – Nikita Jevpalovs

Michael Pezzetta – Laurent Dauphin – Antoine Waked

Gustav Olofsson – Cale Fleury

Otto Leskinen – Evan McEneny

Karl Alzner – Josh Brook

Cayden Primeau – Keith Kinkaid

Maxim Lamarche, Will Pelletier, Ralph Cuddemi, Michael McNiven

Noah Juulsen (upper body), Alex Belzile (pectoral surgery), Andrew Sturtz, Hayden Verbeek, Lukas Vejdemo, Joe Cox

Game Report

Game Report written by Amy Johnson

The Rocket boarded their bus this week to embark on a five-game road trip, fresh off a win on home ice against the Utica Comets. Their week of games against division rivals continued on Saturday night when they visited Belleville for another tilt against the Senators.

But the Laval lineup looked a little different once again, as Jake Evans and Xavier Ouellet were both called up to Montreal this week. Ryan Poehling has been returned to Laval by the NHL club, but isn’t expected to join the team until Sunday in Toronto.

Cayden Primeau got the start in net for the Rocket, still searching for his first win against the Senators. Going into tonight’s game, Primeau had a posted a 0-3-1 record against Belleville so far this season.

Charles Hudon and Jesperi Kotkaniemi got things started on the right foot for the visiting team when they combined for a goal to kick the night off. But Belleville struck back when Joseph LaBate dished the puck to the slot from down low, giving Jean-Christophe Beaudin a perfect opportunity to fire a wrister into the net.

Erik Brannstrom doubled the tally during a five-on-three advantage for Belleville before the end of the period to give the Senators a one-goal lead heading into the first intermission.

Laval began the second period on the penalty kill, one of six infractions they would take throughout the night. But special teams didn’t play a big factor for either team on this night, with both clubs scoring just one goal on the man advantage.

For Laval, that power play goal came at the hands of Riley Barber who capitalized on a five-on-three for the Rocket when Kotkaniemi completed another perfect pass through traffic in the crease to give Barber a clear shot back door.

The third period was slow for Laval, as they struggled with turnovers and a Senators team who was cloggin the neutral zone. Eventually it was determined that extra minutes would be needed to decide this game.

Filip Gustavsson put on a clinic in OT, turning aside a flurry of Laval shots, and flat out robbing Kotkaniemi on an odd-man rush before stoning Barber on a follow-up attempt. It was Alex Formenton who then skated the puck up ice and found the back of the net to seal the win for Belleville.

Thus far, Kotkaniemi has looked comfortable in Laval, and even had some very good scoring chances in the overtime minutes. His two assists in tonight’s game bring him to six assists in just three games with the Rocket.

The Rocket now head to Toronto, where they’ll be joined by Poehling, to play in a matinee game on Sunday against the Marlies who sit just two points back of Laval in the standings.

Plus / Minus

▲  Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Riley Barber, Charles Hudon

▼  Kevin Lynch, Josh Brook, Nikita Jevpalovs