(Laval) The Laval Rocket players turned into ghost hunters on Friday night, defeating the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 5-1 at Place Bell.
Posted at 9:58 p.m.
Cedric Paquette stood out on offense with three points, including two goals, and goaltender Kevin Poulin was spectacular on several occasions on his 22 saves.
Jean-Sébastien Dea, Danick Martel and Jean-Christophe Beaudin also scored for the Rocket (29-21-3-1) who posted a 19and victory in 29 games on the ice of Place Bell. Dea also picked up an assist.
Garrett Wilson replied for the Phantoms (22-27-7-3) as goaltender Felix Sandstrom stopped 24 shots.
Paquette opened the scoring for the Rocket on the fourth shot of the game at 10:16 of the first period. Poulin had to wait more than seven minutes before receiving a first shot from the Phantoms and wait another more than seven minutes before seeing a second.
The Phantoms were still able to take advantage of a power play when Wilson tied the game on a penalty to Beaudin at the end of the period.
The Rocket played the same trick on the visitors early in the second. Benefiting from the man advantage to start the period, Dea scored in the 32and second by completing a superb exchange initiated by Paquette and Raphaël Harvey-Pinard.
Justin Ducharme was disallowed a goal in the 13thand minute because the referee had whistled too early believing that goalkeeper Sandstrom had control of the puck. Martel, however, managed to give the Rocket a two-goal lead with a veiled shot less than two minutes later.
In the third period, Paquette added to it by deflecting a pass shot from Xavier Ouellet to score a fourth goal in his last three games since his dismissal from the American League. Beaudin completed the scoring.