A first game is what it is: a first game. The Laval Rocket got off to a good start before the bike chain blew off midway through the second period.
Penalties, costly turnovers, lack of opportunism – and maybe a little nervousness – all played a role in Friday’s 7-4 loss to the Abbotsford Canucks in opening.
The Rocket had a good offensive game. The score was 2-2 midway through the second period. Then the Canucks scored three goals in less than four minutes. The energy dropped, unsurprisingly. Jean-François Houle’s men didn’t do badly in the third period, but it was… too little too late, and too bad if it’s a cliché.
“It’s going to be like that quite often this year,” he added. We have several young people, so we will have a lot of learning and a lot of videos. »
It remains that among the good things to remember from this first duel, there is the work of certain young people, like Joshua Roy. Every player hopes their first professional goal is pretty; the 20-year-old Quebecer can check that off his list, if such a thing exists.
Roy, one of the most acclaimed players during the traditional official presentation, scored the Rocket’s second goal in the defeat. He accepted a pass from Emil Heineman at the point, before serving a cup of coffee to an opposing player and scoring with a wrist shot into the bottom of the net. Place Bell vibrated.
“It was a good feeling! he admitted. It’s not like it’s an open goal. I’m glad it was a good goal, and I hope there will be more. »
Houle praised the talent of his attacker and his ability to create good plays. “Even defensively, he recovered well a few times,” he noted. He is physically stronger than I thought. He protects the puck well, he has a good vision of the game. […] He played a good game. »
Newly arrived in Laval, Joel Armia took no time to register on the scoresheet. Because he had to, he was the first to find the back of the net at the start of the first period. He scored a second time at the end of the match, jumping on a return shot from Roy, who therefore added an assist to his record. However, the match was already almost out of reach for the Laval team.
“[Joel] played really well,” Houle noted. I found him good, committed. He competed, scored big goals. He was good on the penalty kill, he has a good stick. I’m really happy for him, it must do him good to have scored a few goals. »
“He was talking a lot today with the guys next to him in the room,” he continued of the Finn. On the bench too, I saw him talking to a few guys. »
Logan Mailloux pleased the crowd at the start of the third period, when he came to the defense of Mattias Norlinder, who had just suffered a hard-hitting hit in the corner of the ice. The big defender dropped the gloves in front of Chase Wouters. “Mailloux, Mailloux, Mailloux,” the supporters chanted.
“It’s always been part of my game,” said the main player, a few of whose fingers were surrounded by good old plasters. In London, I wasn’t looking for fights. I played a lot of minutes there. But I like to play physical. If necessary, I will get up for my teammates every night. »
“I liked that he was physical,” Houle said of the 20-year-old defender. I think it was one of the defenders who made some good stiff passes. He had a few turnovers, but that’s totally normal for a guy like that. He doesn’t let it be imposed on him. »
Due to the surplus of players at the Rocket, Jean-François Houle had to make choices: nine players watched the match from the dressing rooms. Among them, Jared Davidson, Filip Mesar, Jan Mysak, Nathan Légaré and Nicolas Beaudin. Houle was very clear: there will be changes this Saturday, for the second game against the Canucks.
“We lost 7 to 4… I think we can send messages straight away,” he said.