The idea is not to continually hit the same nail, but it is obvious that several Laval Rocket players, in their fifth game in seven days, were pumping oil Saturday evening on the ice of the Adirondack Bank Center. This was not the case for defenseman Jayden Struble for a very simple reason.
Struble made his return to the Laval team against the Utica Comets after having played the role of spectator since Monday due to a suspension. However, he was possibly the Rocket’s best player in the 6-3 loss.
Struble had assists on goals from Joel Armia and Nathan Légaré, both shorthanded. Also, he was visible in all facets of the game and in all areas, even firing three shots towards goalkeeper Isaac Poulter.
“It shows the difference between a guy who is tired and a guy who is fresh,” summarized head coach Jean-François Houle.
“He didn’t play for three games because of his suspension and he had legs tonight [samedi]. He played a very good match, he was physical, he made good passes. I’m very happy for Jayden,” analyzed Houle.
That said, we shouldn’t necessarily assume that Struble’s performance Saturday night was solely because he was rested. Maybe it’s more of a continuity.
“I think there’s a lot of positive that comes out of his matches. He makes good passes, there are a lot fewer turnovers than other defenders. For us, he is a sure value right now and he is playing very well,” underlined the Rocket head coach.
Struble was even more eager to do his part since he had seen his teammates fight hard in the three games he missed.
After a 5-2 win that was never really in doubt in Winnipeg on Monday, the Rocket followed up with a spectacular 6-4 victory against the Belleville Senators on Wednesday, after the team had conceded the four first goals of the match.
Finally, Friday evening, the Laval team almost managed to turn things around at the end of the match against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, before losing 3-2 at Place Bell.
“Knowing the guys fought all week and I had fresh legs, I knew I had to come out and try to give the guys something,” Struble said after Saturday’s game.
“Overall it was a good match. I feel like I played hard. Like I mentioned, I just wanted to give it everything I could. »
The team is progressing but…
The Rocket had a good week with three wins in five games, despite this busy schedule and a significant number of injured players.
But despite this positive record over the last seven days, the Rocket (5-9-1) once again finds itself in last place in the North section of the American League.
The team’s position in the standings is all the more precarious as it has played more matches than the six other teams that make up the section.
“We’re OK, but it’s tough on morale when you look at the rankings,” Houle admitted after Saturday’s match.
“You’re still playing pretty well and you’re still in the lows. We have several injuries to very key players. Of course it’s not easy. We hope that injured players will return this week. »
Despite his team’s deficit record, Houle insisted on a number of positive points.
“I think we are heading in the right direction,” he replied when asked to take stock of the current situation.
“I think we’ve improved so far. Our young players are showing that they are learning. For us, this is important. It is certain that staying healthy will be important because otherwise, we will have to use a lot of players who will not be in the right seats. But I like our progress. Winning more matches would definitely be good for the morale of the team. »