The Laval Rocket work to keep a positive atmosphere despite poor start to the season in the AHL.
The Laval Rocket hit the ice on Friday morning for their last practice prior to heading to Winnipeg to face the Manitoba Moose for a pair of games on Sunday and Monday. Jean-Francois Houle held four practices with the squad since Saturday's 5-0 loss against the Toronto Marlies.
"We worked a lot on our defensive zone to stop the other team from moving and creating speed on offence. It's to kill plays and to make sure we don't turn [the puck] over before getting it out. If we do this part right, it's going to help our game a lot," William Trudeau spoke about the focus of the practices. The defensive zone has been a concern for Laval as the team has allowed the most goals in the league.
The Canadiens AHL affiliate has had a difficult start to the season with two wins in 10 games. Despite the poor record, the players on the ice were in good spirits.
"We try to keep things as positive as we can. We understand that we're young at all positions but we also understand that it's important to come to the arena and have fun. If you start coming to the arena reluctantly, it's not fun for anybody and you don't learn. Our young players know the importance of keeping a positive atmosphere to better develop," Houle said following the practice that lasted nearly an hour.
The coach has repeatedly preached the importance of developing young players in a winning environment, however the wins are not coming are not coming right now. "It's not easy when you know that you're at the bottom of the standings. It's not easy but I think the best way is to not look too far ahead and try to get better at the small details," added the bench boss.
"We're not happy when losing but I think it's part of the evolution of a team and you have to go through that."
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