For 50 minutes, David Reinbacher had a rather quiet match.
Sober play around his net. Shorthanded presences. A nice retreat at the start of the second period to prevent the opponent from being outnumbered.
There was, in short, little to say about him. Which was pretty good news for a 19-year-old defender who was playing his first game in the American League, especially in a crucial game for the Laval Rocket, who are trying to earn their place in the playoffs. This goal was kept alive thanks to a 3-2 victory in overtime.
His performance was, in a way, a reflection of that of his team which, without being dominated, struggled to generate attack. The Belleville Senators built a 2-0 lead before Lias Andersson cut the lead in half midway through the third period.
A few seconds later, Reinbacher showed the Canadiens’ fans why the organization’s management chose him in the first round, fifth overall, in the 2023 draft.
In the middle of the ice, the defender won his race for the puck against Senators forward Brennan Saulnier. He then completely took down defender Donovan Sebrango, who rushed into Saulnier in the neutral zone.
Advancing two against one in opposing territory, Reinbacher chose to shoot. A wise decision, because his dry and precise shot beat goalkeeper Mads Sogaard.
For the Austrian, the goal put an exclamation point on a busy week.
Last Friday, the elimination of his club in Switzerland was confirmed. On Monday, he crossed the Atlantic. Tuesday, he took part in his first training in Laval, a long hour of arduous work since the team was beaten in its last game.
This Friday, not only did he skate for the first time on a North American rink, but he quickly saw his responsibilities increase, since his teammate William Trudeau left the game after receiving a puck on his right hand. The Rocket therefore played two thirds of the match with only five defenders.
” I had fun ! », Launched Reinbacher to the journalists on site, after the match (The Press followed the meeting remotely, Editor’s note).
“I like to win, so I’m happy for the team. Let’s continue like this,” he added.
He admitted to feeling a little rusty coming out of the starting blocks, having not played a match in almost three weeks, but he assured that he quickly found his legs.
“I kept things simple, and my teammates made my life easy by communicating well with me,” he explained. I felt comfortable. For a first match, it was okay. We’re going to watch videos and build on that. »
Praise
His exploits were not lost on his teammates.
“His goal was crazy!” exclaimed Logan Mailloux, himself the author of the winning goal. He looked good, played physical and adjusted well to the speed of the game.”
“He impressed me,” added Lias Andersson. It’s not easy to play a first game like that, on the road, in a playoff atmosphere. »
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Jean-François Houle and David Reinbacher
Head coach Jean-François Houle, without being full of praise, was also very positive about the young man. If he had felt Reinbacher very nervous during the morning training, the stress seemed to have disappeared “as soon as he was there for the first time”.
On the offensive side, Houle appreciated the quality of his zone exits as well as his decision-making in possession of the puck. “It’s a place where we can improve as a team, and he can help us,” he analyzed. There are several aspects of his game that we liked tonight. »
Among these, on the defensive side, the coach highlighted how the big guy “covers a lot of ice.”
“He has good skating forward and backward,” noted Houle. I am very happy with his match. »
History has taught us to judge a rookie player’s debut with caution, without drawing clear-cut conclusions. Still, you only have one chance to leave a good first impression.
On this account, David Reinbacher can say mission accomplished.
In a few lines
We mentioned it above, but William Trudeau likely injured his right hand while blocking a Tyler Kleven shot during a penalty kill in the first period. The team quickly indicated that he would not return to the game in the second period, but did not provide additional information on his state of health after the game.
Logan Mailloux’s goal, in overtime, was his 14e of the season. The Ontarian thus established a new franchise record, erasing the mark established by Éric Gélinas in 2017-2018. The Quebecer then scored 13 goals in 64 games. Mailloux has surpassed him in 61 matches, and has 11 more games to further improve his record. This goal was particularly timely for the Rocket who, with this victory, moved to within two points of the Senators, holders of the last place giving access to the playoffs in the North Division. The two clubs will meet again on Saturday in Belleville.