(Springfield) There will indeed be a seventh and decisive game between the Springfield Thunderbirds and the Laval Rocket.
Updated yesterday at 10:52 p.m.
We write “well and good” because the thing seemed absurd, even impossible, at the beginning of the evening, on this very quiet Monday evening at the MassMutual Center, in this small town in Massachusetts. Because the Rocket started the game on their heels, being outplayed, having to defend four against five for four long minutes, among other things, the result of a high stick from veteran Devante Smith-Pelly.
But the Rocket survived that, as they survived so many deals in that magical spring, and in the end, they scored a 5-1 win over the Thunderbirds and their very quiet fans.
This very quiet arena became even more so at the end of the evening, when Danick Martel served a poetic fake to goaltender Joel Hofer for the third goal. Then the fans all rose to their feet in the direction of the exits, while the DJ tried to rekindle the flame with generic 1990s rock, a strategy that fell flat like a Nickelback chorus.
With all that, there will be a seventh game, presented here on Wednesday evening.
I’m proud of all the guys. It was an important match and everyone showed up. Everyone was ready, and everyone was ready to win.
Gabriel Bourque
It ended 5-1, but that doesn’t mean it was that easy. The Rocket had chosen to start this game with a formation of 7 defenders and 11 attackers, and one of these attackers, Jesse Ylönen, had to leave the game at the end of the first period, following an injury. According to head coach Jean-François Houle, Ylönen should miss the last game of the series.
Once again, Cayden Primeau was in a state of grace in front of his net. Among other successes, we will remember his stop on Will Bitten who arrived alone in front of him in the second period. A big play, since the puck then went to the other end, and defenseman Tommy Cross committed a very juicy turnover. Danick Martel, who didn’t ask for so much, only had to throw the puck into an almost empty net for his band’s first goal.
“I missed an empty net in the previous match, everyone talked about it… this time, I saw it, the net, and I wasn’t going to miss it! “Summarized the Rocket striker, who concluded this big evening with a harvest of three points.
0 in 29
Gabriel Bourque added the second goal, Martel the third, and we felt the Thunderbirds a little flat, like the rest of the arena. Interesting stat: Since the start of this series, Springfield players are 0 for 29 on the power play. That’s not what you want.
Photo taken from the Twitter account @theahl
Jean-Sébastien Dea and Tanner Kaspick at the face-off circle
“It was important to maintain a form of discipline and to avoid penalties,” explained Primeau. Too many penalties can cut your legs. So our shorthanded play was immense and gave us a push in the back. We can play against these guys without problem at five against five. So we’re happy with the victory, but we didn’t come here to win a single game…”
For the Rocket, Tuesday will be important, Wednesday too. Houle admitted it: it will be necessary to manage the club’s energy well, since the gas tank cannot be empty at the time of the big match on Wednesday evening. The club should also have training off Tuesday.
Until then, Rocket players will be able to breathe a little, perhaps also enjoy the bucolic landscapes of Springfield, and also indulge in some good superstitions, according to Houle.
“We found a good Italian restaurant when we arrived here on Sunday, and then we won… so we’ll be going back tomorrow! »