AHL Game 54: Laval Rocket vs. Rochester Americans
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In Canada: RDS (French)
Streaming: FloHockey, RDS
With about 20 games to play in the American Hockey League season, the AHL affiliates of the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens stand one-two in the league standings, separated by a point. The Rochester Americans and Laval Rocket kick off a two-game series tonight as place Bell, with that top spot on the line.
On a day when the Sabres dealt away players at the NHL trade deadline to signal that their rebuild still had some distance to go, the Canadiens were happy to keep their roster intact and see how far the current group can go this year, before reinforcements arrive next season.
One of those big additions will be David Reinbacher, who, after missing the first 47 matches of the AHL campaign, took all of one game to start looking like the best defenceman in the minors. He’s been a standout in his last four outings, all wins for his team, proving his NHL readiness even for this season should the Canadiens call upon him. He’ll play a big part in the team’s chances of jumping ahead of its North Division rival this weekend.
Laval Rocket projected lineup
