The Laval Rocket put themselves into a 0-2 hole in their best-of-seven series against the Charlotte Checkers this week. Laval was outscored 10-3 through two games, and any standout individual performances weren’t enough to push the Rocket over the edge. I collected a handful of standout performances from each game.
Game 1
Oliver Kapanen
Oliver Kapanen’s line wasn’t super noticeable in the first period. The second power-play unit also didn’t generate a lot in the first, but Kapanen was positive. He was good in transition but his line struggled on the forecheck. With Sean Farrell and Joshua Roy as his wingers, Kapanen was the most effective forechecker on the line. Unfortunately, neither Farrell nor Roy can play Kapanen’s two-way role, meaning Joshua Roy ends up as F1 on the forecheck, something that should probably never happen.
As I mentioned earlier, I’d like to see a physical presence with Kapanen and Roy. Adding Farrell worked against Rochester, but Charlotte is bigger and tougher, and I think Farrell struggled in the face of the physicality. Kapanen finished with the Rocket’s only goal on Wednesday, a one-time blast from the left circle from a brilliant backhand feed from Roy. I have noticed that Kapanen has a tendency to take longer shifts, but it’s normally the result of his commitment to defence. Overall, he was one of Laval’s most effective forwards.
Joshua Roy
Roy had a strong game on Wednesday, picking up a primary assist on the Rocket’s only goal and showing effort every shift. If I’m picking out one trend I noticed in Game 1, it was a lack of poise under physical pressure. Charlotte plays significantly harder than Rochester and I think the whole team needed an adjustment. I’d also love to see a little more ferocity on the forecheck. Sometimes, it seems that Roy is going through the motions on the forecheck instead of seeing an opportunity to create a turnover. But that’s just the eye test.
I also can’t ignore his eagerness to get off the ice when he’s tired. It’s a glaring trend that will not translate to the NHL. That being said, he created the Rocket’s only goal of the night. His opportunistic offence is extremely reliable.
Adam Engström
Engström had a tough start to Wednesday’s game in Laval. He was directly responsible for the Checkers’ first goal and he followed the shift by over-committing to the rush on his next, creating a two-on-one chance. The early mistakes, paired with a couple of cheap shots, seemed to set Engström off midway through the first and left me with a single thought: an angry Adam Engström is an NHL-ready defenceman.
When Engström dialled his emotion up, he started to dominate physically but didn’t lose his poise. He also replaced David Reinbacher on the second power-play unit on Wednesday, something I have expressed desire to see for a while. The result? Laval’s second unit was by far its best in Game 1.
Logan Mailloux struggled mightily at the point, and the first unit really failed to create anything of value with a whopping five attempts. Engström looked supremely comfortable at the point and was a catalyst for his unit. He was calm in the face of the same pressure that left Mailloux scrambling. Engström doesn’t have the one-timer that Mailloux does, but is a significantly better puck-mover, and more effective when faced with short-handed rushes. Where he struggles on the power play is keeping the zone along the boards, a trend I’ve noticed at five-on-five in previous games but was exacerbated on the power play.
Overall, he was the Rocket’s best defenceman in Game 1 and I’d be surprised if Canadiens’ management isn’t looking at his recent play with eager eyes.
Logan Mailloux
I thought that Mailloux looked a little lost early on in Wednesday’s game, specifically in the neutral zone. He seemed to be trying to do everything and ended up stretching himself too thin. This trend continued through the first. I don’t think Mailloux picked the right spots to pinch, and it cost him more than a couple of times.
You could argue Mailloux is often at his best on the power play, yet he struggled at the point in Game 1. Charlotte pressured the quarterback all night, and Mailloux struggled to cope.
His physicality picked up as the game progressed, and his play progressed as well. The third period was certainly his best, and suggested he would get better as the series progressed. He seems to respond to physical play (his performance against Cleveland was much better than versus Rochester, and I think the differing styles had an impact), and this series will be very physical.
Game 2
Oliver Kapanen
Kapanen was probably the only player in Game 2 who didn’t have a misstep. He was solid in the defensive zone and effective through the neutral zone. I’ve mentioned his skill in creating turnovers in neutral ice before, and he pulled off three impressive steals on Thursday. He sees all the passing lanes available, and he looks really comfortable in Laval’s man-to-man system.
He finished with an assist in Game 2, a nice feed to Noel Hoefenmayer while fighting through two bodies. I think Kapanen brought the right amount of tenacity on Thursday. His consistency has really impressed me.
David Reinbacher
Reinbacher had a strong game on Thursday and was one of the only defencemen who had an overwhelmingly positive impact. There were some negatives — he got caught flat-footed in the neutral zone a couple times that resulted in odd-man rushes — but his one-on-one defence stood out.
He was responsible for the Rocket’s first goal after winning his battle in the defensive zone and skating the puck out himself to feed Kapanen in the neutral zone. I thought he picked good spots to activate on the rush and showed hustle heading back to the zone. I think he gave up a little on Charlotte’s fifth goal, but the game was decided by then.
He finished with a goal and an assist, the goal a one-time laser that beat Kaapo Kahkonen cleanly. He had an excellent third period.
Owen Beck
Laval played a solid opening 20 minutes. Owen Beck was at the centre, in my opinion. He is a fearsome forechecker and is committed to finishing checks. His relentless forechecking presence, mixed with his strong skating, creates a significant number of opportunities through turnovers and missed passes. I love the way he crashes into corners, and his intense dedication to loose-puck retrievals is a fantastic attribute.
Beck had three or four prime opportunities on Thursday, but as has been the story this post-season, he failed to finish them. I’d love to see Beck get a little more opportunity, but last game was wrought with penalties, impacting his ice time.
Honorable Mentions
I’ve only included three players here because it was hard to single out another player from the team. I don’t think that Mailloux, Engström, Roy, and company had bad games, but none of them stood out amongst the rest. Each of them shone in certain moments, and each of them had blunders that cost the team in various ways.
Laval needs to turn this series around on Sunday in Charlotte. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 PM ET.
