The first victory at Crunch | The Press

(Syracuse, New York) If this series between the Rocket and the Crunch is like the first match, we won’t be bored! While the NHL playoffs are punctuated by numerous duels with large score differences, the Canadiens and Lightning subsidiaries offered a match that was both tight and entertaining.

Guillaume Lefrancois
The Press

Tight because it was settled 5-3 for Syracuse, which takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. The Laval residents could very well have prolonged the fun, but Rafaël Harvey-Pinard’s point-blank shot was blocked in defense, and a few seconds later, Anthony Richard scored the insurance goal in an empty net.

Entertaining because of burlesque scenes like this presence that defender Fredrik Claesson performed on one knee after losing a skate blade. Entertaining also thanks to the brilliant manager of the giant screen who played extracts of an Undertaker fight following a skirmish. But above all, entertaining because it was a real game of the playoffs, where almost every whistle triggered a rififi, interspersed with swear words in French heard here and there because of the strong Quebec contingent on each side.

“It felt good to come back to the playoffs. It’s been a while. That’s why we play hockey, ”said Rocket forward Joel Teasdale after the loss.

Teasdale is well placed to speak. Two ligament tears in his right knee, in addition to the pandemic, contributed to him missing a year and a half of hockey. He therefore found himself in the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2019, when he and Harvey-Pinard led the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies to the Memorial Cup.

“Precisely, we were talking about it this morning in the locker room. We asked ourselves: “How long has it been since you played?” Even if we lost, it feels good, a game like that, ”added defender Tobie Bisson, after his baptism of the American League playoffs.

Alex Belzile is also in his first series, surprisingly. He had tasted it in the NHL, in the summer 2020 bubble. But it was in strange circumstances, in front of empty bleachers.

“It’s my first time and I’m 30! “, he launched.

Baptism

For this first match, it was the players with the most mileage who came out in the Laval camp.

“Belzile with two big goals. [Jean-Sébastien] Dea played a big game. [Sami] Niku had three assists. We have guys who played well tonight,” summed up Rocket head coach Jean-François Houle, disregarding the turnaround caused by Niku, which led to the opponent’s first goal.

Later, the driver will also boast Xavier Ouellet, his captain, who played like a guy with a “C” on his jersey.

It was more discreet for the younger ones. Of the 18 skaters in uniform, Harvey-Pinard and Jesse Ylönen are the closest to the National League. But the two attackers are also among the youngest in the squad, and on the other side there were Gabriel Dumont, Gemel Smith, Claesson, players who have hockey in their bodies.

That said, both were on the top two lines and will have chances to get their names on the scoresheet in future games.

Goaltender Cayden Primeau, another hope of the organization, did not have the chance to live his baptism of the playoffs because Houle preferred veteran Kevin Poulin. It will be interesting to see if Primeau will be sent into the fray for Game 2, which takes place this Saturday. Ditto for defender Mattias Norlinder, third round choice of CH, who has just returned from his native Sweden for the playoffs. He was left out for this first game.

Because Houle may say that he no longer coaches to “develop” once in the playoffs, there is still valuable experience to be acquired for his players who are likely to be part of the Canadiens in the future. Experience that was sorely lacking under the old regime. Need we remember that the Canadiens’ subsidiaries participated in the playoffs only once under Marc Bergevin, in 2017, and that it only lasted four games?

Still, Houle must have the time to offer these experiences to his players. Because a series three of five, it can be settled quickly!

Stapley’s pending case

A file that we thought was at a standstill may not have been resolved. It is that of forward Brett Stapley, drafted in the seventh round by the Canadiens in 2018. The team holds its rights until August 15, and since he still has not signed a contract and Montreal is understood with other college players since, it was easy to believe the Habs would simply let their rights expire and Stapley become a free agent. However, the CH is still evaluating its options, we learned. The Habs notably explored the idea of ​​inviting him to join the Rocket for the American League playoffs, but Stapley abstained. A minor trade for his rights is not to be ruled out either, especially since all those who drafted him at the time now have positions elsewhere in the NHL. Author of 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 41 games this season, the 23-year-old player helped the University of Denver win the NCAA National Championship.