(Laval) The Laval Rocket lost their last game of the season on Saturday. Even if the players still seemed emotional at the idea of missing the playoffs because of their failure the day before in Belleville, it was not this unsuccessful weekend that was fatal. It’s more of their start to the season.
Jean-François Houle’s squad had no room for error: to participate in the spring ball, they had to win their last two matches in regulation time. However, the Rocket escaped Friday’s match against the Senators by a score of 3 to 2. And worse still, the Sens came to beat the Laval team for one last time, Saturday, 2 to 1 in their own home.
It would be too easy to target these two poor performances by the Rocket to explain its non-access to the American League playoffs despite a 33-31-8 record. Instead, we must focus on the team’s performance at the very start of the season. Even if the men in red fought with dignity until the very end, even if it meant missing the point by two matches, the damage was already done.
PHOTO CHRISTINNE MUSCHI, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Jean-François Houle
We dug ourselves a little hole at the start of the year. It wasn’t easy for us.
Jean-François Houle
By Christmas, the Rocket had lost 18 of their 27 games, including a nine-game losing streak. Which is far from meeting the requirements of a team wanting to find a place among the top group in its division. “It was hard to catch up. We should have been 30 points behind Cleveland. After the holidays, we started playing good hockey and we stuck together as a team,” explained captain Gabriel Bourque wisely.
Ultimately, the team finished seventh and last in their division, as their early campaign trajectory seemed to predict.
A match without artifice
Saturday’s meeting, played in front of a 17e full house this season, ended with a difference of one goal, certainly.
But this meaningless match was like everything you would expect from a meaningless match.
There wasn’t much to get our teeth into, apart from the play during the first intermission which allowed a fan to win a spa, Arnaud Durandeau’s “Michigan” attempt in the second period and a performance of the Galaxie group during the second intermission.
Like Richard Desjardins at the 2004 ADISQ gala, the Senators players did not show up. They fired only three shots towards Kasimir Kaskisuo in the first period, then eight in the second period. However, even though the visitors decided to rest and save their best players, they still won the game.
Belleville woke up in the third period, with two unanswered goals. First, Tarun Fizer, left alone in the enclave. Then, Wyatt Bongiovanni threaded the needle on the power play. The striker celebrated as if he knew this achievement would dash all his rivals’ hopes.
In just two minutes, the Rocket’s advantage offered by William Trudeau at the very end of the first period no longer held. And the team’s season was on life support. As if the “olé olé” of the fans had not been electroshocks powerful enough to restart the already damaged heart of a team mourning the loss of the playoffs.
Durandeau’s message
The only player who really fought until the end wore number 16 and a tinted visor. Arnaud Durandeau was in all the fights. The newcomer was in his tenth game with the Rocket since his arrival from the Utica Comets.
He was creative, he demonstrated his speed and his enthusiasm, in addition to working hard until the last minutes of the game. Durandeau had his team’s best scoring chances during the game.
The 25-year-old Quebecer has, however, been shaken up this season. He played 12 games with the Bridgeport Islanders, before spending 26 games with Utica, to finish the season in Laval.
Even though he had six points in 10 games with the Rocket and was a real spark plug, his head coach left him out for the most important game of the season on Friday. Its use was rather approximate despite its good performance.
“Against certain teams, a guy like Durandeau, who I see on the first two lines, it’s not always easy for a player like that on a fourth line. You want stronger players, justified Houle. He is in the same mold as [Riley] Kidney, [Sean] Farrell. Sometimes you have to adjust. »
A situation which obviously displeased the main person concerned. Especially since he is looking for a brand new contract for next season. ” It’s frustrating. I[avais] want to help the team make the playoffs, but it’s the American League. I thought I was playing well before. It’s difficult,” breathed Durandeau, his eyes watering and his throat tight.
This is undoubtedly why he wanted to succeed in his last audition of the season in order to remain in the organization. “Every game you play in the AHL, especially since I don’t have a contract for next year, it’s a chance to show what I have to Laval and all the teams. You shouldn’t take a match off even if it doesn’t count. »
The team will hold its end of season report this Sunday morning.