Very few Laval Rocket players had individually strong games in Sunday’s 5-1 loss to the Charlotte Checkers. In a performance that lacked effort for large swaths of the second and third periods, there were three players who stood above the rest in effort and execution.
Owen Beck
Owen Beck had a great night on Sunday, and he was one of few. I don’t think I’ve talked about how strong his skating is, but he’s certainly one of the smoothest players on the ice in this series. He showed great instincts through the neutral zone in Game 3. He’s skilled at reading where the puck is going to go, and he rarely misses opportunities because of ill-timed transitions.
Beck played up on the second line in Game 2, the only line to escape without a negative rating. Additionally, the Rocket’s lone goal was the result of a great heads-up play from Beck on the power play. He skated through the slot until finding the opportune moment to fire the puck low blocker side for Davidson to get a deflection. Beck finished with an assist and just one shot in Game 3, but showed all the makings of an NHL forward.
Joshua Roy
Joshua Roy has really stepped it up after his lacklustre performances in the last series. He was one of the few positives for the Rocket in Sunday’s blowout, finishing with four shots in the loss. I thought he looked really tenacious and driven in the offensive zone. He was clearly hungry for a win, and his competitive edge was obvious until the final period.
This was his best forechecking game, continuing an upward trend. I thought he was effective in the role. I still wasn’t impressed with his level of hustle end-to-end, and he took three early changes that resulted in what I thought were missed opportunities, but overall he was one of Laval’s most impactful players.
Sean Farrell
Sean Farrell is on a run of solid games, and Sunday’s affair in Charlotte was no exception. He finished with two shots and was absolutely the heart of his line. His one-touch plays through the neutral zone and along the boards in the offensive zone were perfectly received by Beck and Brandon Gignac, and their chemistry opened up avenues for him to use his skating through the neutral zone as well.
Farrell has had a really solid post-season, after strong end to the regular season as well, but I just can’t help but be concerned about how he would translate to the NHL. He really tried to play a physical game on Sunday — the most determined effort I’ve seen from him — but it didn’t really have an impact. He clearly doesn’t enjoy either end of contact, the giving or receiving, and I’m not sure if a player like that can play in the NHL.
I do want to point out his effectiveness defensively without being a physical presence, but the lack of physicality is hard to ignore, especially in the playoffs. Regardless, Farrell is a heck of a hockey player with a skill set that lets him dominate the AHL at times. On Sunday, he was probably the Rocket’s most noticeable player.
