After not losing a game in regulation since late December, the Rocket dropped back-to-back contests this weekend.
After not losing a game in regulation since late December, the Rocket dropped back-to-back contests this weekend.
GAME RECAP | Laval Rocket vs Syracuse Crunch
Rocket Lineup
Forward lines
81 Xavier Simoneau - 61 Philippe Maillet - 28 Lias Andersson
10 Joshua Roy - 37 Brendan Gignac - 19 Emil Heineman
42 Filip Cederqvist - 27 Mitchell Stephens - 20 Gabriel Bourque
21 Riley Kidney - 14 Jan Mysak - 49 Jared Davidson
Defense pairings
4 Paquette-Bisson - 24 Logan Mailloux
84 William Trudeau - 52 Justin Barron
29 Mattias Norlinder - 44 Olivier Galipeau
Goaltenders
73 Kasimir Kaskisuo
38 Strauss Mann
Out of the lineup:
Scratches: Jakub Dobes, Nicolas Beaudin
Injuries: Nathan Legare (lower-body), Sean Farrell (upper-body), Brady Keeper (lower body)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_iU69UZUik[/embed]
Game Report
On Friday night, the Laval Rocket lost their first game in regulation since late December when the Syracuse Crunch defeated them 4-2. To complete the last leg of their road trip, the Rocket found themselves in Rochester, NY for a matchup against the Americans.
The only change to Jean-Francois Houle's lineup came in the crease with Kasimir Kaskisuo getting tap for the start and Strauss Mann backing him up. Jakub Dobes was given a night off.
For the second night in a row, Laval's opponent struck first within minutes of the opening faceoff. However this time the Rocket got the goal back almost immediately when Emil Heineman beat Eric Comrie glove side to tie the game.
But the scoring didn't stop there for the Amerks, as Nikita Novikov scored his first AHL goal to restore Rochester's lead. The home team scored two more goals in quick succession, including one off of a Kaskisuo turnover. Facing down a 4-1 deficit, Houle pulled his goaltender and replaced with the backup netminder, Strauss Mann.
In the second period, Heineman scored again to close the gap to two goals. The Rocket had a moderately better performance in the second period, successfully killing off a penalty. Viktor Neuchev put his own rebound past Mann, but Filip Cederqvist managed to score against his former team to leave things at 5-3 for Rochester heading into the third period.
Laval dug a deeper hole by allowing another two goals against early in the final frame, but they still showed some determination. Jan Mysak potted a shorthanded goal to bring his team with three goals, but that's where the scoring ended for either team.
Game Statistics
Rocket (18-16-4-2)
Shots: 35
Power play: 0-for-2
Penalty minutes: 4
Americans (20-14-3-1)
Shots: 34
Power play: 0-for-2
Penalty minutes: 14
Scoring Summary
Rocket Scorers
1st period: Heineman (6)
2nd period: Heineman (7), Cederqvist (2)
3rd period: Mysak (9)-SHG
OT: n/a
SO: n/a
Americans Scorers
1st period: Mersch (6), Novikov (1), Richards (5), Murray (6)
2nd period: Neuchev (6)
3rd period: Weissbach (9), Murray
OT: n/a
SO: n/a
Goaltenders
LAV: Mann (Kaskisuo) (L) 2-9-2-0
ROC: Comrie (W) 3-1-0-1
Rocket Players of the Game
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Looking Back
Did you miss the Rocket's last game? Catch up on the recap here: Not The Comeback Kids This Time | RECAP: LAV @ SYR
Up Next
The Rocket return home next week for three games in the leadup to the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic. They first welcome the Utica Comets to town for their fifth meeting in the month of January.
Puck drop on Wednesday, January 31st, is scheduled for 7:00 pm ET at Place Bell in Laval, QC.
Be sure to bookmark THN.com/Montreal for year-round coverage of the Montreal Canadiens, Laval Rocket, and Habs prospects playing in leagues around the world.
