Farrell and Gignac Return to the Rocket Lineup

The Laval Rocket are coming off a shootout win against the Hershey Bears on Wednesday night at Place Bell. It was a surprising result, considering the Bears are ranked first in the AHL, while the Rocket currently sit 21st overall. 

This weekend, Laval's North Division rivals, the Toronto Marlies, are in town for back-to-back games. The teams have split their first four matchups this season. The Marlies have a two-point lead over the Rocket for the final playoff spot, with two games in hand over the Canadiens' AHL affiliate. 

"They're a really good team. They can score some goals. They were at top of our division for a while and they went through a tough patch but they're over that. They're going to be a tough team to beat. They have some speed and their special teams are good," said Jean-Francois Houle, following Friday's morning skate.

The two teams split a weekend series in Toronto two weeks ago, with the Marlies defeating the Rocket 6-1 in the first game and the Rocket bouncing back with a convincing 7-1 win the following day.

"I feel like we will certainly get a better team than we got them on that Saturday. That's going to be the game that is freshest on their mind, the one that we beat them. I expect two closer games this weekend," noted Justin Barron. 

"It will be two really competitive games. They're a team a lot like us. They have a lot of skill and they can make plays. For us, we got to be good defensively and at the same time be ready to go physically cause all these games here on in are going to be intense playoff-like games," said Sean Farrell, in reference to what he's expecting from these contests.

Wednesday's win against Hershey brought confidence to the club, but it's no secret that there's still a tough road ahead in hopes of clinching a playoff spot.

"It's going to be a fun weekend with a lot of fans in the stands. Four really big points for us. We really gained some confidence that we know we can beat the top teams. We played a really good game [on Wednesday] but still not a full 60 [minutes]. We had a few setbacks in the second period but we really played a good game. We showed character in that game and we should keep going with that," said Emil Heineman. 

Both games will be played in front of a packed Place Bell, with Saturday's matinee already confirmed to be sold out. 

"It's awesome. We really get a lot of energy from that. When we have [the fans] supporting us, we really fly out there. It's going to be a lot of fun," Heineman remarked.

Farrell received good news on Friday that he was cleared to return to action after being sidelined with an upper body injury since January 7th. 

"He can really help our team. I liked the way he came back from his first injury. He got himself on the scoresheet right away. He's a player that has a lot of talent, can play on the power play, can produce offensively," Houle said. 

The forward also missed a month earlier in the season with an upper body injury and hopes to put them behind him. 

"It's definitely tough. A couple of unlucky injuries but trying to stay positive and work on the things that I can work on. With this being an upper body injury, I had a lot of time to spend in the gym and work on skating and stuff for five weeks now so I think that's definitely been a positive. At least some positive, while being out for so long," Farrell said about his rehab. 

With Brandon Gignac clearing waivers, he's expected to be in a Rocket uniform on Friday, and will likely be a welcome addition to the lineup. 

"It's a plus for us. It will help our offence. In zone entries, he generates a lot of scoring chances with his speed. He's good on the power play and the penalty kill. He plays in all facets. He gives us more depth on our lines when we face teams that have a lot of depth," said Houle. 

The 26-year-old leads the team in scoring, with 42 points in 43 games, despite missing six games during his stint with the Montreal Canadiens. 

"He's been our best player this year. He did a great job [in Montreal] too. He's going to bring all the things that he does. He plays a 200-foot game out there. He's going to help us put up points, he's going to help us on the penalty kill and the defensive zone. He's doing everything out there for us, he's really important," said Heineman in anticipation of Gignac's return. 

The Repentigny native has been a good mentor for the young players in uniform. "It's a high performance league so you got to show up every night. He's done a great job this year and showed us young guys how to act as a professional out there. He's a great role model," added Heineman.

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