David Reinbacher Shakes off Nerves to Impress Laval Teammates

Montreal Canadiens prospect David Reinbacher scored the tying goal in his first AHL game for the Laval Rocket.

After joining the team on Monday, David Reinbacher made his AHL debut on Friday in the Laval Rocket's 3-2 overtime win against the Belleville Senators. 

The defenseman was a difference maker in his first game by scoring the goal that forced the extra time. It was a nifty individual sequence that led to his first goal as a pro in North America. 

"I'm always happy to score but the best feeling is to win with the team and get those really important points for the playoff rush," Reinbacher said following the win. The two points in the standings were critical for Laval as they're chasing the Senators in the North Division standings.

The Canadiens first pick of the most recent draft had fun in his first new environment and admitted that he was nervous at puck drop. He didn't have to wait long to get his feet wet as he was thrown over the boards 30 seconds into the contest. 

The plan was to pair Reinbacher with veteran Tobie Paquette-Bisson on the third unit. The situation changed quickly in the latter half of the first period when William Trudeau suffered an upper body injury that forced him to leave the game. 

The Rocket played with five defenseman for the rest of the contest and Reinbacher's partner rotated between Paquette-Bisson and Olivier Galipeau. The 19-year-old obtained a regular rotation on the penalty kill unit as well. 

"I found him nervous this morning but he was good from his first shift. He made very good zone exits, he communicated well with his teammates," noted Jean-Francois Houle. "He has a good stick and covers a lot of ice. He's a big guy and skates well frontwards and backwards. He made excellent plays." 

Reinbacher kept his game simple in his debut and impressed the coach with his decision-making when he was under pressure.

"I kept it really simple. All my teammates helped me. They were so good on the ice, they communicated really well, so it made playing a first game easier. Really thankful for my teammates here," said the appreciative Reinbacher. 

In the days leading up to the puck drop in Belleville, his teammates took him out for dinner and helped him settle in. 

"I was impressed. First of all, he's a really good kid, humble, and a super nice guy. Belleville on the road in a playoff mentality game in the AHL is not the easiest first game to play so I was impressed by him and the goal speaks for itself," observed Lias Andersson. 

"He looked great. He settled right in. He's playing good and had a sick goal. I feel like he played well, adjusted well, he's physical, he's really up to speed," added Logan Mailloux. 

The Rocket continue their three-in-three weekend on Saturday with a rematch against Belleville, followed by a trip to Toronto to face the Marlies on Sunday. Heading into Friday's game, Houle was not certain if Reinbacher would play in all three games. With his impressive debut and Trudeau's absence, the decision became simpler for the coach. 

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