The Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate wrap up homestand on a positive note
by Chris G, Rocket Sports, Montreal Canadiens blogger
The Laval Rocket wrapped up a six-game homestand by hosting the Abbotsford Canucks (Vancouver Canucks) at Place Bell on Friday and Saturday
Friday: Abbotsford Canucks 1 - Laval Rocket 2 (overtime)
It took 30 minutes of action before a team got on the board when Xavier Simoneau crashed the net while deflecting Sean Farrell’s pass behind the goal line. The Canucks tied it 4:07 later when a shot from the slot was partially stopped by Cayden Primeau before trickling behind him and end up at the back of the net. The score did not change before the end of regulation, and 1:05 into overtime, Laurent Dauphin buried his own rebound to snap Laval’s two-game losing streak.
"We got better as the game progressed. We had a good start to the game,” Pascal Vincent noted. “It was a good battle. We played better in the third period. We connected better offensively, defensively and Primeau did a good job. Our penalty kill was really good."
Saturday: Abbotsford Canucks 2 - Laval Rocket 6
The Rocket got on the board with two goals in the first period. First, Sean Farrell opened the scoring on a power play with a wrist shot from the faceoff dot and 9:31 later, Laurent Dauphin found Filip Mesar in the slot for the goal. The Canucks cut the lead to one goal early in the second period, on a sequence that began when Josh Jacobs failed to clear the puck out of the defensive zone. With 2:15 remaining before the second intermission, Rafael Harvey-Pinard tipped Willam Trudeau’s shot to restore the two-goal lead. Laval created separation in the third period, and it began when Vincent Arseneau redirected Jared Davidson’s shot behind the goal. Midway through the frame, Lucas Condotta in the slot for a one-timer goal. Abbotsford scored a second goal before Gustav Lindstrom buried an empty net goal.
"We came out strong. I saw the team that we'd see at the start of the season. We were fast, we were intense, we were physical, we defended well, but it's mostly the team's mindset at the start of the game to establish momentum. It's fun to go back to that style of play. We had deviated a little from that mindset, but it was a solid game,” said a satisfied Vincent.
Primeau Arrives.
Cayden Primeau practiced with the Rocket on Wednesday for the first time since clearing waivers. "It's tough to hear but it's not the end of the world,” Primeau said about the news delivered to him by Kent Hughes during the Christmas break. “I'm excited to play. It's not going to be given, I have to earn it. I haven't really played much in the last two years. Just being able to get down here, get back to having fun, and playing is the biggest thing.”
Despite the bad news, the goalie seemed to be in a good mood. "I felt that he had a good attitude, smiling. He could have come here and not be happy. I didn't see any of that,” Vincent shared his observations.
Primeau started his first AHL game of the season on Friday and made 27 saves that earned him the first star of the Rocket’s 2-1 win. "I feel really good. Getting back in there into game action feels good and any time you can play [at Place Bell] and get a win is even better. I'm going to try to build off of it."
Up Next
The Rocket finished the homestand with a 4-2 record. They head on the road next weekend to face the Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets) on Friday and Saturday.
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