Laval returned home after a brutal two-game series against the Belleville Senators, having extended their points streak to nine games and looking to extend it to double digits against the Utica Comets. While the Rocket were missing a few players, they received a boon from the Habs in the form of Mitchell Stephens clearing waivers.
Joining Stephens in his return was Justin Barron, who slid into the second pairing alongside William Trudeau, while Tobie Paquette-Bisson replaced the recalled Arber Xhekaj on the top pair. While Joshua Roy was also sent back down to Laval, he was not in the lineup against the Comets on Wednesday night.
After a chaotic and feisty pair of games against the Senators, the Rocket started their clash against the Comets in relatively quiet fashion with just a few actual looks on goal. However, the minute the Rocket fourth line began to generate pressure on a long offensive-zone shift, the Comets were called for holding and Laval found itself on the game’s first power play of the night.
With just one shot on their man advantage, the Rocket power play failed to strike much fear into the Utica penalty-killers, even with Emil Heineman being left wide-open for a clean look on net. With Xhekaj back in the NHL, the second-wave duties fell to Justin Barron, but out-of-sync passes never allowed the group to really create much as the play returned to even strength.
Despite the iffy power play, the Rocket attack wasn’t to be denied in the first period, and their relentless hustle after loose pucks led to the opening goal of the contest. Brandon Gignac kept a play alive along the half-boards, putting a puck toward Akira Schmid. The Comets goalie struggled to grab the rebound, allowing Heineman to feed Trudeau with a touch pass. The defenceman stepped up and fired the opening goal by Schmid.
While the Rocket were keeping the Comets’ scoring chances to a minimum as the first period approached its end, they put themselves in a tough situation entering the final minutes. First, Mattias Norlinder was dinged for interference, then on a short-handed rush, Brandon Gignac was called for a high stick. Before Gignac’s penalty could expire, Olivier Galipeau joined him in the penalty box, forcing the Rocket to end the first period killing off a five-on-three penalty.
Gignac escaped the box without a goal against, thanks in part to some incredible work in net from Jakub Dobeš holding the line against a power play that was growing in confidence by the second. Laval nearly made it out of the period with their lead intact, but with one second left, Brian Halonen was able to bury a chance past a diving Dobeš and send the teams into the intermission tied up.
After taking a minute or so to find their bearings in the second period, the intense Laval forecheck and cycling game returned in a big way. Riley Kidney dangled his way through the Utica defence for an incredible scoring chance, while Jan Mysak continued to be first on pucks and allowed the Rocket a line change while keeping the puck in the offensive zone. Schmid was dialed in however, keeping the game level as the Rocket stormed out of the gates to try to regain their lead.
Even as the Rocket dominated the shot counter and time of possession, it was the Comets who found a second goal first. The ever-infuriating Samuel Laberge entered deep into the Rocket zone, filtering a pass across to Halonen, with Halonen wiring it by Dobeš and giving Utica a second-period lead.
Even with another power play, it looked like Schmid had the Rocket’s number through two periods, as he made an emphatic windmill save on a wide-open one-time chance from Heineman. The Utica netminder then followed that up with a twisting desperation save on a rebound that bounced up into the air behind him.
The Rocket were far from out of the game, but needed a focused — and penalty-free — third period to break through the Comets’ defence and red-hot goaltender.
Laval started the period already suffering a setback as Xavier Simoneau was missing from the bench, leaving the Rocket without one of their top wingers. But the hard work of Mysak was again a difference-maker as he drew a slashing call, putting the Rocket on an early power play. The power-play frustrations continued for Laval as they again barely troubled Schmid and let a golden opportunity slide away.
With all the great chances earlier in the game, it was a shot from a low-danger spot that resulted in the Rocket’s tying goal. Lucas Condotta won an offensive-zone draw, creating a scrum. Gabriel Bourque came away with the puck and fired it on net, fooling Schmid for the captain’s first goal of the year.
Bourque’s goal suddenly changed the entire complexion of the game, and the Rocket took full advantage of the Comets being back on their heels. Condotta sent Mitchell Stephens deep into the offensive zone with a leading pass with two Comets in front of him. Stephens found a gap between the two and wired a third Rocket goal by Schmid to put the Rocket back on top.
Just 10 seconds later, the Rocket were back on the attack, and a bouncing feed to Logan Mailloux somehow became a goal as the rookie fired a knucklepuck past Schmid to make it a two-goal Rocket lead.
Utica, shocked by goal flurry, had no answer for the Rocket outburst and were unable to get any sort of pressure generated as the game headed toward its conclusion. Mailloux put his 10th goal of the year into the empty net to seal the win, and push the Rocket points streak into double digits.
Final Score: Laval 5, Utica 2
The Rocket now head on the road to New York for a Friday night game in Syracuse with Joël Bouchard and the Crunch. It’s expected that Joshua Roy will re-enter the lineup pending any NHL moves.
