(Laval) Emil Heineman only has 24 games of experience in the American Hockey League, but his words seem to have found the right ears.
A little over a month ago, following an embarrassing setback at the hands of the Belleville Senators, the young 22-year-old forward spoke of a lack of pride in the Laval Rocket locker room.
Pride was there on Friday night, when the Montreal Canadiens’ farm club defeated the Manitoba Moose 5-2 to sign a ninth victory in 13 games.
“We’re really playing as a team right now. We play for the logo and that makes a big difference, said Heineman. As a team, we go out on the ice and fight for each other. That’s nice to look at. We have to keep the pace and keep working every day. »
That loss to the Senators was the eighth in a streak of nine, but ever since, the Rocket have been one of the most dangerous teams in the American League.
Obviously, the season is far from over, but the Laval residents will wake up Saturday morning in fifth place in the North section. This rank would be enough to allow them to reach the playoffs.
Things can change quickly in sports and the Rocket’s current winning streak, which includes six straight games with at least one point (5-0-1), has shown a nice sample of what is possible for this team.
We took our game up a notch. We are playing better within our structure and we understand when to do the right things. Our team spirit is very good and the guys are holding together. It’s a team thing and the goalkeepers get the job done.
Jean-François Houle, head coach of the Rocket
The current training is rather young and the experience should come slowly. There were also several new players, which always requires a period of adaptation.
Patience has clearly been a virtue for the Rocket, as chemistry continually seems to build on and off the ice.
“I said at the start of the season that we needed to get to know each other a little. Now that we’re halfway there, things are a little better and we know each other a little more. This is one of the big reasons. When it clicks off the ice, it often clicks on the ice as well,” said forward Lias Andersson.
The offensive players have also got back on track, after small shortages. This is particularly the case for Joshua Roy, who has collected 12 points in his last 13 games since this loss at the hands of the Senators.
“I think the confidence is high,” Roy noted. I had a more difficult time, but I regained my confidence. I build on that. Our trio is doing very well too and we have scoring opportunities. Now it’s about repeating that every night. »
The striker’s performances earned him a call-up by the Canadian on Friday evening.