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Rocket @ Phantoms recap & highlights: Laval steals two points with late goal

Posted on by Jared Book
Photo by LAURENT CORBEIL / Arena du Rocket Inc.

A late power play led to Riley Kidney’s goal with 1:07 remaining as the Laval Rocket defeated the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4-3 on Friday night at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

There are some games where you may end up taking away points despite not being the best team on the ice, and that’s exactly what the Rocket did on Friday. With Ronnie Attard in the penalty box for tripping, Kidney picked up a loose puck at the top of the slot, and while turning fired the shot past Cal Peterson, who barely moved on the shot. The shot went through several pairs of legs before hitting the back of the net.

“I just kind of turned and shot it,” Kidney said. “They don’t ask how as long as it goes in.”

It was Kidney’s sixth goal of the season and his third goal and fifth point in his last three games. On top of him getting the game winner, he also had a team-high six shots on goal.

The Rocket wouldn’t even be close to having a chance to win in the third period if it weren’t for the play of Jakub Dobeš. The Czech netminder made 42 saves on 45 shots as Laval was heavily outshot on the night. The Phantoms outshot Laval 45-24 on the night, including 16-4 in the third period. In the final frame, however, Laval outscored Lehigh Valley 2-0.

Jan Myšak scored his fourth of the season assisted by Nolan Yaremko and Alex-Olivier Voyer as the fourth line had a big shift when they needed it. The goal tied the game at 3-3.

Laval fell behind 1-0 in the first period when Samu Tuomaala fired a point shot on the power play that beat Dobeš. The Phantoms doubled their lead only 13 seconds into the second when Wade Allison scored his fifth of the season.

The Rocket fought back for the first time in the game in that second period as well. Brandon Gignac scored his eighth goal of the season shorthanded when he created the turnover deep in Lehigh Valley territory, giving himself a breakaway where he made no mistake.

Just 1:06 later Lucas Condotta scored to make it 2-2 on a breakaway of his own after a Joshua Roy pass sprung him for the opportunity.

The Phantoms went into the third period with a 3-2 lead, however, when Emil Andrae scored on the power play after a Philippe Maillet penalty. On the night, the Phantoms went 2/6 on the power play, while the Rocket went 1/4 on Kidney’s game winner.

The Rocket play their second game of the Pennsylvania back-to-back on Saturday night when they head to Hershey to play the defending Calder Cup Champion Bears.

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