Laval came into Friday’s matchup against the Syracuse Crunch looking to get headed back in the right direction. Laval had dropped five of its previous seven games and had averaged less than 2.5 goals per game during the stretch.
With Syracuse sitting just three points behind Laval in the North Division, the Rocket needed to regain some distance in the standings.
The lines stayed fairly consistent from Monday, with the only change to the forward core being Xavier Simoneau’s return. Florian Xhekaj went down to the fourth trio as Simoneau took his role on the third. Will Dineen was the odd man out. The defence core was shuffled around again with David Reinbacher out with injury. Josiah Didier moved up to the top line after a solid performance against Calgary on Monday. William Trudeau joined Nate Clurman on the second pairing, and Josh Jacobs slotted in for Ryan O’Rourke on the third pairing. Jacob Fowler got the start in net.
The Rocket got off to a good start, controlling play in the early minutes. It wasn’t long until Josh Jacobs got the Rocket on the board with his first of the year.
After the goal, Fowler made two good stops on a Syracuse rush with 12 minutes left in the frame, stoning Jakob Pelletier twice with the blocker.
Laval kept things under control through the middle of the period, limiting the Crunch’s opportunities. Didier continued doing good things, scoring again for Laval with just over eight minutes left in the period, but the goal was disallowed due to a kicking motion.
With less than seven minutes left in the first, Syracuse had only managed three shots, and hadn’t enjoyed any time in the offensive zone since the opening five minutes.
Unfortunately for Laval, a tough rebound off Fowler and Trudeau’s loss of body positioning let Syracuse tie the game. Mitchell Chaffee scored his 11th of the year, beating Fowler under his left pad.
With 3:30 left to play in the first, Laval needed to get back in the offensive zone and turn momentum. The Rocket had a good start, and played well through the midway point of the period, but after the 10-minute mark the thrusters were sputtering, and Syracuse’s goal only added to the energy deficiency. Laval did manage to turn the tide a little, but wasn’t able to make an impact on the scoresheet, sending the teams into the first intermission tied 1-1.
Back for the second, Syracuse came out of the gates hotter than Laval did. Laval got a power play in the opening minute, but only managed a single shot, and Syracuse got the best chance while short-handed.
As the game got chippier, Laval got better, driving the pace of play and keeping Syracuse on its toes. Laval looked disconnected and a second off, but Syracuse was even more disjointed, icing the puck dozens of times in the opening two periods. Laval was getting chances, but lacked poise while finishing, and struggled to get alone in the slot.
With 12 minutes left, Syracuse created two strong chances, but both were fended off by Fowler, who, after a slightly shaky first period, looked ready to go for the second.
Owen Beck, who had been showcasing his speed all night, drew a penalty shot with just over nine minutes to go in the frame. Beck got the Crunch’s Brandon Halverson down and out, but the goaltender read the move and stopped the shot. It marked the third breakaway attempt Beck had been stopped on in the opening 30 minutes.
Laval received another power play after the penalty shot, and this time had a significantly better showing. Xhekaj had two good chances from the slot, but Halverson stayed strong.
The period ended with a carousel to the penalty box for both teams, with each team getting one power play, and a full two minutes at four-on-four. Even with the extra space, neither team was able to crack the scoresheet, and the squads would head into the break still tied 1-1.
When the teams came back for the third, Syracuse still had 1:03 left on a power play and had an opportunity to change the game. The Crunch got their looks on the man advantage but weren’t able to solve Fowler, whose positioning was especially strong.
The third period lacked consistent flow for either team in the opening minutes. Both teams were constantly readjusting, and the physical battle was push-and-pull with neither team wanting to sacrifice poise for physicality.
Laval started gaining some momentum with just over 12 minutes left after another good defensive play from Trudeau sparked a counter-attack led by Sean Farrell. The Rocket had solid zone time for two minutes and then continued to build momentum, defending well and creating chances on the rush.
Syracuse had some chances as well, but they were exclusively on the rush. When the 15-minute mark passed in the third period, the Rocket had nearly doubled the Crunch in shots, with Halverson saving 28 of 29.
In the final minutes, it was Syracuse in control. Fowler made a series of stops in the final three minutes, including two point-blank stops in the crease. Halverson made three saves of his own in the final 10 seconds of regulation, and ultimately, the teams would need an extra frame to sort things out.
Overtime began, and the Rocket immediately had a golden chance. Halverson flashed the leather on Beck, leaving Beck with nothing once again after half a dozen grade-A chances. He then robbed Dauphin one-on-one 30 seconds later, before Fowler made a stop of his own in the middle of a scrum.
The Rocket were finally able to beat Halverson before the overtime came to an end. Adam Engström iced the game with a nasty move in the slot.
Final Score: Laval 2, Syracuse 1
Laval will be back in action on Saturday, for a dinnertime matchup against the Marlies in Toronto. With Toronto close behind Laval in the North Division, the Rocket will look to best their divisional rival and separate themselves as the best in the North. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:00 PM ET.
