Laval Rocket vs Belleville Senators Recap: Line-up, Score, Game Report, Statistics, Highlights, Three Stars, Post-Game Interviews, Rocket Sports Media
| FINAL | Game 29, Away Game 16 | Saturday, April 24, 2021 |
| Canadian Tire Center, Ottawa, ON |
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ROCKET Laval |
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4-1 |
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SENATORS Belleville |
Rocket LineupForward linesJoseph Blandisi – Ryan Poehling – Jake Lucchini Rafael Harvey-Pinard – Jordan Weal – Jesse Ylonen Brandon Baddock – Cameron Hillis – Jan Mysak Yannick Veilleux – Lukas Vejdemo – Alex Belzile Defense pairingsCorey Schueneman – Josh Brook Tobie Paquette-Bisson – Otto Leskinen Terrance Amorosa – Gustav Olofsson GoaltendersVasily Demchenko – Michael McNiven ScratchesNathanael Halbert, Jacob LeGuerrier, Tristan Pomerleau, Liam Hawel, Arsen Khisamutdinov InjuriesCale Fleury (undisclosed), Joel Teasdale, Laurent Dauphin, Michael Pezzetta 
Game ReportGame Report written by Chris G The Rocket concluded their three-game series against the Senators on Saturday. Laval looked to sweep the matchup, following their 3-0 victory on Friday.
Injuries forced Joel Bouchard to make several changes to the lineup. Joel Teasdale, Laurent Dauphin, and Michael Pezzetta had to miss the match.
Jan Mysak, Jordan Weal, and Brandon Baddock drew into the game. Weal didn’t play on Friday after getting injured during warmups, and Baddock returned after being sidelined since April 2nd with an injury.
Vasily Demchenko was in the net for the first time since April 10th, when he stopped 19 pucks in a victory against the Marlies.
First PeriodJesse Ylonen opened the scoring at the 7:39 mark during a man advantage by completing a passing play that began with Ryan Poehling and Alex Belzile. It was Laval’s first power play goal in four games.
The goal was Ylonen’s first in five games, while Belzile recorded his fifth assist in the last three games.
The Rocket controlled the play for the first 15 minutes of the match, outshooting their opponents 10-3, when Terrance Amorosa was called for tripping. Demchenko stopped the three shots he faced during the minor penalty.
Cameron Hillis increased the lead to two goals by redirecting Josh Brook’s point shot behind Kevin Mandolese with 1:23 remaining. It was his first career goal in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Second PeriodMandolese was tested by Laval to start the second period, and he made several key stops against Ylonen, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, and Weal.
The Senators put themselves in trouble with consecutive minor penalties that gave the Rocket a two-man advantage for 51 seconds.
Weal beat Mandolese with a shot that beat the goalie glove side on the top corner. Belleville was furious that the goal was allowed as they felt that the puck hit the crossbar and stayed out of the net.
Belleville got on the board with 2:24 remaining when Egor Sokolov swung at the puck in mid-air to beat Demchenko.
Third PeriodThe Senators started the frame with energy, applying pressure in the Rocket’s zone, but weren’t able to reduce the deficit.
After making several key saves, Mandolese knocked Joseph Blandisi‘s shot into his own net, after the puck hit the post. The goal was Blandisi’s first in eight games, and Poehling collected his third assist of the afternoon, his sixth point in the three games this week at the Canadian Tire Centre.
The three-goal deficit burst Belleville’s bubble, as Laval went on to a 4-1 victory.
What’s Next?The victory extended Laval’s win streak to five games. The Rocket has won eight of 10 games against the Senators this year.
Teasdale, Dauphin, and Baddock will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Montreal.
The Rocket’s next match will be on May 4th, when the Toronto Marlies visit the Bell Centre. Laval heads into their break atop of the AHL standings with 46 points and a .793 winning percentage through 29 games.
Be sure to scroll down to hear post-game interviews with Hillis, Poehling, and Bouchard by the AHL Report team and other members of the media.
Plus / Minus▲ Ryan Poehling, Jesse Ylonen, Josh Brook, Corey Schueneman, Rafael Harvey-Pinard ▼ |
The Numbers
| Game Statistics | ||
| ROCKET | SENATORS | |
| 34 | Shots | 21 |
| 2 for 3 | Power Play | 0 for 1 |
| 2 | Penalty Minutes | 6 |
| Scoring Summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stars of the Game
| AHL Official Three Stars | ||
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Watch
| Video Highlights |
What Did They Say?
| Post-game Interviews | |
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Joel Bouchard Cameron Hillis Ryan Poehling Interviews conducted for the AHL Report by Chris G |
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Social Media
| Follow @TheAHLReport on Twitter |
EXCLUSIVE: Patrick Williams: Laval, AHL Update | Press Zone Montreal ep. 176 https://t.co/aZA5IU310z pic.twitter.com/57hUf8HRQ5
— The Press Zone 🎙️ (@ThePressZone) April 20, 2021
Playing With Urgency | Canadiens Connection ep 133 https://t.co/3Dj6c6vNrO @RocketSports pic.twitter.com/OKS9jk0tAu
— All Habs (@AllHabs) April 24, 2021
Rocket – Senators: McNiven Shuts The Door | GAME RECAP https://t.co/oWcmVcx2g5 pic.twitter.com/feUSQL4a10
— AHL Report (@TheAHLReport) April 24, 2021
Follow @theAHLReport on Twitter