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Rocket @ Moose recap & highlights: Emil Heineman, Joël Teasdale score twice in win

After a sorely needed win on Sunday afternoon in Manitoba, the Rocket attempted to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Moose once again.

Laval saw two major losses heading into the game from Sunday’s win however. Cayden Primeau was an unexpected recall to the Montreal Canadiens, leaving Kevin Poulin to try to keep Laval afloat. Also missing was Brandon Gignac, who did his best to tough out Sunday’s game but was unable to play this contest.

Tuesday’s start was exactly what the Rocket wanted to see in a crucial game. Laval pushed the Moose back multiple times before breaking through with an odd-man rush. Peter Abbandonato flicked a pass into the slot for Joël Teasdale, who calmly pulled the puck to his forehand and fired it far-side for his 22nd goal of the season.

Poulin looked like a man in form as the period wore on from the opening goal. The Moose looking dangerous on a power play and the veteran netminder slammed the door shut to preserve the lead.

A late Rocket power play and a four-on-four sequence saw the period end with a number of interruptions and scrums. But thanks to the goaltending from Poulin and the Rocket attack looking dangerous, it was a lead that Laval took into the intermission.

As strong as the first period was for the Rocket, the second period was all Moose right from the opening faceoff. While Laval survived the opening minutes of the Moose pressure, the dam eventually showed a few cracks. Jansen Harkins got the Rocket defensive coverage crossed up, and from the upper slot he snapped a game-tying goal by Poulin.

The tie did not last long thanks to the red-hot Emil Heineman and Pierrick Dubé. It was Dubé darting in through the Moose defence and creating a rebound in front of goal. Heineman was all over the loose puck, rifling it over a sprawling goalie to restore Laval’s lead.

That margin grew to a pair thanks again to the hard work of Dubé and Heineman deep in the offensive zone. Dubé kicked the play off with a shot that rebounded behind the net, then Mitchell Stephens grabbed it and put a pass into the slot for Heineman. The Swede continued his incredible form, firing a shot across his body and to the back of the net for a 3-1 lead.

Shortly after the Rocket goal, the Moose created a scramble deep in the Laval end, and it resulted in Tyler Boland drawing back a goal. However, Jayden Struble took a high-stick to the face shortly after the Moose goal, giving the Rocket a power play and a chance to restore their two-goal lead.

The man advantage added to an impressive period for Pierrick Dubé as he again was the catalyst for a goal. This time he grabbed the goal itself as he tried to backhand a pass on net for a redirect. His shot however, hit off a Moose stick in front of the net and slowly fluttered over the line.

Period three was played at a much more deliberate pace, with the Rocket inviting the Moose into the muck and mire in front of net, and then carefully clearing their lines over and over. It looked like the Rocket were going to grind down the clock, and they nearly did until the goals suddenly started appearing out of thin air.

First was Joël Teasdale finding a soft spot in the defence and taking a pass from Peter Abbandonato to score his second goal of the night to make it a 5-2 contest.

The Moose stormed right back, with Parker Ford getting his first professional goal off a deflected puck that he swatted past Poulin to keep the game interesting with seven minutes left to play.

The Moose eventually pulled their goalie to try to pull of the comeback. A stumble and turnover with the puck allowed Jan Mysak to fire the puck into the empty net and secure Laval another critical win on the road.

Final Score: Laval 6, Manitoba 3

Winning both games in Manitoba against a very tough Moose team was a huge boost for the Rocket, as any dropped points would have put a dent in their playoff hopes. The team continues its road trip on Friday as they head to Rockford for a game against the IceHogs.

Cayden Primeau will be back with the team after playing one game for the Canadiens in a 3-2 loss against the Philadelphia Flyers.

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