(Laval) For the second game in a row, Cayden Primeau performed miracles in front of his net and the Laval Rocket defeated the Rochester Americans 3-1 on Monday night.
Posted at 10:10 p.m.
Primeau stopped 31 pucks for a third straight win and helped the Rocket take a 2-0 lead in this North Division final series. The third meeting will take place on Wednesday evening in Rochester.
Inserted into the training following an upper body injury to defender Mattias Norlinder, suffered the day before, Lucas Condotta proved head coach Jean-François Houle right by moving the ropes.
Brandon Gignac and Louie Belpedio also hit the mark for the Rocket, who finished many of their net plays despite the Americans’ towering defensemen.
The Rocket players also passed four shorthanded players thanks to several blocked shots and a good job to allow Primeau to see the game in front of him.
Arttu Ruotsalainen, however, threaded the needle late in the third period to deprive Primeau of a first career shutout in the playoffs.
After being kicked out of Game 1 of the series, Aaron Dell gained the confidence of head coach Seth Appert and blocked 29 of 32 shots he faced.
Primeau transports the Rocket
The Rocket wanted to get off to a better start than in the first game of the series and they got the desired result after just over five minutes of play.
Accepting a pass from Alex Belzile at the point, Tory Dello fired a low shot from Dell stopped with the right leg. Gignac, however, followed the game well and jumped on the return to push the puck into a free net.
As Primeau had done the day before for the Rocket, Dell pulled a few rabbits out of his hat in front of the visitors’ net. He notably took out the shield to make a spectacular save at the expense of Belzile, halfway through the first period.
Photo Dominick Gravel, LA PRESSE
Primeau
Jean-François Houle’s squad also missed a few opportunities to double their lead, both in the first and second periods.
During a power play, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard inherited the disc in the slot, but even if the puck went between Dell’s pads, it slipped to the left of the net. In the second period, Cédric Paquette managed to cut the net, but he was unable to complete his backhand maneuver.
The Laval team doubled its lead by taking advantage of a four-on-two counterattack. Paquette left the puck to Belpedio, who was coming in the second wave, and the defenseman’s shot went to Dell’s right. The Americans goaltender may have been distracted by defender Jimmy Schuldt’s slip.
The rest of the period was Primeau’s business, closing the door to the Americans. The crowd had no choice but to chant his name after he completed two jewels at the expense of Ruotsalainen and Lukas Rousek in the last minute.
Condotta dealt the Americans a heavy blow by flashing the red light midway through the third period. He jumped on a throwback from Peter Abbandonato to give the Rocket a 3-0 lead.
Ruotsalainen beat Primeau as the Americans played with six players, but it was too little, too late.