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The Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate started a five-game road trip with a win.
by Chris G, Rocket Sports, Montreal Canadiens blogger
The Laval Rocket returned to Place Bell after 18 days and hosted the Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres) on Wednesday, followed by the Belleville Senators (Ottawa Senators) on Friday, and headed to Belleville for a rematch the following night.
Wednesday: Rochester Americans 2 – Laval Rocket 1 (overtime)
The Rocket opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal in the first period when Xavier Simoneau created a turnover in the neutral zone and sent Florian Xhekaj for a breakaway goal. Rochester replied back on the ensuing shift to cancel Laval’s lead. The score remained the same through regulation and until the final minute of overtime when a Logan Mailloux turnover at the offensive zone blue line ended up at the back of the net to hand the Rocket’s first loss at Place Bell.
“It wasn’t clean. Our breakouts, our automatic plays, execution. We had moments during the game, like the second period, we have a five minute period that we were connecting, but other than that, the effort was there, but I didn’t think we were executing properly,” Pascal Vincent said. “Our standards are pretty high. Yeah, we got a point, but we’re better than that. I don’t think we deserved to win.”
Friday: Belleville Senators 4 – Laval Rocket 2
The home team capitalized on the Senators indiscipline in the first period as Brandon Gignac and Adam Engstrom scored power play goals before the first intermission. Belleville dominated the second period by scoring two goals and preventing Laval from taking a shot on goal for the first 15 minutes of the frame. The visitors took the lead early in the third period and sealed the victory with an empty net goal in the final minute of regulation.
"We stopped playing our game in the second, stopped working hard, stopped forechecking, stopped tracking and just got away from our identity. Good teams capitalize. [Belleville] is a good team and they're going to make us pay if we take our foot off the gas,” Owen Back described the costly period.
Saturday: Laval Rocket 3 – Belleville Senators 1
Laval took a commanding lead in the rematch against their division rivals on the following night. Joshua Roy opened the scoring in the first period with a breakaway goal and assisted on a pair of Jared Davidson goals in a span of 3:28 of the second period. Belleville broke the shutout before the intermission and Jakub Dobes shut them out the rest of the way for the win.
Roster News
The Canadiens assigned Rafael Harvey-Pinard to the American Hockey League (AHL) for conditioning purposes on time to face the Sabres affiliate. Pinard had not played this season as he was recovering from a broken leg that occurred over the summer. In the three games, the forward was held off the scoresheet, no shots on goal and minus-3 rating.
After a disappointing camp, Roy was rewarded for the good start of the season by being recalled by the NHL club. Roy has obtaind 16 points in 17 games with the Rocket and practised on a line with Jake Evans and Emil Heineman on Monday. As a result, Lucas Condotta was assigned to the AHL, after scoring once in seven matches with Montreal.
Luke Tuch was sidelined for all three games with an upper body injury. The organization divulged that his absence is estimated at 3-4 weeks.
Alex Barre-Boulet missed the weekend home-and-home matches against the Senators with an upper body injury. He played on Wednesday after being sidelined with a lower body injury. His absence is considered day-to-day.
Brandon Gignac did not dress for Saturday’s contest due to a lower body injury. The injury appears to have occurred when he collided with the net during Friday’s game at Place Bell. Gignac is expected to be sidelined for 4 to 6 weeks.
Jakov Novak was recalled from the Trois-Rivieres Lions and will join the team on the road trip. The forward is the Lions leading scorer with 14 points in 13 games.
Up Next
The Rocket remain on the road for three games this week by visiting the Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals) on Wednesday, Wilkes-Barre Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins) on Friday, and Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers) on Saturday.
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