The Laval Rocket dominated the Rochester Americans in a 5-0 rout on Sunday, winning Game 5 of the North Division Final and moving on to the next round. Multiple big prospects stood out in what was a complete effort from the team.
Joshua Roy
Joshua Roy came to play on Sunday. This is the third article in a row that he has appeared in, and each accolade has been more deserved than the last. Roy finished with three points in Game 5, a goal and two assists and was a +2 on the night in what was by far his best game of the post-season. Two of his points were created by hustling for loose pucks, and he was committed to defending the neutral zone. He also showed more dedication to the forecheck than he has so far, and I don’t think I can point to a single glaring turnover courtesy of #10. He played hard all night, and his line led the way offensively.
Sean Farrell
Sean Farrell slotted onto the second line instead of Brandon Gignac, and the result was fantastic. I mentioned in the last article that it would be interesting to see a physical presence on that line; Farrell is about as far from that as a player gets, but it worked excellently. He finished with a goal and two assists, and his line combined for seven points.
His skill for one-touch plays is significantly more dangerous when paired with skilled players (not saying that Laurent Dauphin and Alex Barré-Boulet aren’t, but neither of them are on an NHL trajectory), and his playmaking ability shines at all times.
I still question his willingness to engage in physical play. There were two instances on Sunday where Farrell made a less-than-ideal pass while along the boards in the neutral zone to avoid contact, and I’m not sure that’s sustainable in the NHL. Regardless, Farrell is possibly the smartest player on the ice at all times, and that’s something you can’t teach.
Oliver Kapanen
All three members of the second line are featured today because they were that good, and Oliver Kapanen was the catalyst. I just mentioned that Farrell is possibly the smartest player on the ice during his shifts. The only player who competes is his centreman, Oliver Kapanen. Farrell and Kapenen showed fantastic chemistry all night, reading each other exceptionally well, and with the opportunistic Roy jumping on loose pucks, the line had success in every zone.
Kapenen is a fantastic two-way centreman. His awareness in the neutral zone is already at an NHL level. He causes more turnovers and completes more stick-checks than any other Rocket forward. When he was on the ice, you could see the Rochester defencemen adjust their play through the neutral zone by playing more conservatively (I found two examples of this, starting in the second period before I stopped looking).
Adam Engström
Engström has really started to turn it up in the playoffs. On Sunday, he played with serious physical tenacity and was defensively responsible all night. I really like that he isn’t afraid to step up and try open-ice hits. He tried it twice in Game 5, and both instances had positive defensive results. Besides Logan Mailloux, he’s undoubtedly the best skating defenceman on the Rocket, but he’s significantly better defensively than Mailloux.
With his offence in mind, I’d be interested to see him quarterbacking the second-unit power play. Reinbacher has been good, but not great as QB2, and I think Engström could be an effective option. With two defencemen down with injuries, Engström had a near-flawless performance in the most important game of the year. He looked calm and made good decisions, all while playing big minutes.
Cayden Primeau
Cayden Primeau made a statement on Sunday. His play made it very clear that he is the Rocket’s starting goaltender, and the only choice for Game 1 of the East Final. He saved all 27 shots he faced in Game 5 and looked in control all night. He made multiple big stops early to keep the game tied, including one on a short-handed breakaway midway through the first. One of Primeau’s biggest criticisms is his lack of poise while under pressure, and I thought he looked best when challenged on Sunday.
Laval will be back in action for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday against the Charlotte Checkers. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET in Charlotte.
