(Laval) We often hear in the world of sport that you have to learn to lose before you win. The Laval Rocket feels like he has learned enough.
The season is only eight games old, but the Rocket already find themselves in a difficult position. With just one victory and three points on the clock, he not only has the worst record in the Eastern Conference, but also the worst in the American Hockey League.
Even when it plays good hockey, the Laval team seems incapable of obtaining a positive result. Their 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Utica Comets on Wednesday night is a testament to this.
Jean-François Houle’s men dominated their opponents 36-25 in terms of shots, but they lacked finishing – notably during four numerical advantages –, in addition to hitting a few posts.
The Rocket (1-6-1) refuses to sound the alarm, but he can’t wait for the tide to turn and luck to be on his side.
PHOTO CHRISTINNE MUSCHI, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Jean-François Houle
“If we play like (Wednesday night) for the rest of the season, the victories will definitely come. I think we deserved to win. We brought pucks to the net and the favorable leaps will come shortly,” said forward Brandon Gignac after his club’s loss.
The moods are obviously low in the team locker room after the defeats, but overall, morale is good.
The players would have every reason to give up. The coaching staff could raise their voice, but they prefer to focus on development and positive aspects. This is also what is felt during training.
“It’s definitely difficult, we won’t hide it, but we have a good group of guys. The coaches try to make training fun. It’s a long season and we will continue to be positive. We are going to help young people learn the hard way of hockey,” noted Gignac.
“It’s still fun to come to the rink right now,” added defenseman Jayden Struble. The guys are happy to be with each other. It doesn’t bother us much at the moment, but we really need to get going. »
PHOTO CHRISTINNE MUSCHI, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Jayden Struble
Through these thick and thins, Houle must also find the balance between whipping players who are having a less good streak and providing advice to improve their shortcomings.
“It can be a challenge to motivate players who are not doing well. Making corrections to things that we need to improve takes time. There is a lot of learning going on at the moment, a lot of videos and difficult training,” Houle said.
Some veterans of the team have already acted in this film. This is also the case for forward Lucas Condotta, who wore the colors of the Rocket when he started the 2022-2023 season with a 3-8-3 record.
Houle’s team slowly recovered and finished the campaign strong, winning eight of their last nine outings to reach the playoffs.
It is precisely this experience of the past, and the lesson that nothing is decided during the first month of the season, which gives hope to Condotta.
“Our group is young and everyone is learning. We have a lot of grit and talent. We just have to combine the two, he observed. We still have things to prove, but I think we will see a difference in the coming weeks. I believe in this group, and that’s what gives me confidence. »
The Rocket will have the opportunity to prove Condotta right by playing two games in 24 hours against the Toronto Marlies, Friday and Saturday.