(Laval) In his first match in front of his new fans, Friday evening, David Reinbacher was not the most visible, but he didn’t make a mistake either. For a developing defender like him, this is probably the best way to shine.
“Good defensemen in the National Hockey League are not flashy », Launched head coach Jean-François Houle after the Laval Rocket’s 2-1 victory against the Belleville Senators. Game in which the fifth overall pick of the last draft was cleared from the scoresheet, but showing a differential of +1.
Professor Houle spoke with overwhelming, almost exaggerated enthusiasm about his young student. “First palette you see, you make the pass. You jump into the game at the right time. When you’re asked to play physical and have the stick on the puck, you have to do it. He keeps it simple. »
Reinbacher listened to the instructions and applied the lessons learned during the five matches he has now played with the Laval team.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
David Reinbacher
There was no empty bench for this other duel between the Rocket and the Senators. We wondered if people had turned out in droves because of the excitement generated by the young Austrian sensation or if it was to witness the return of Mattias Norlinder to the squad after watching the last four matches from the stands.
When Reinbacher touched the disc in the 41ste second of the meeting, we had our answer. Polite encouragement, but nothing more from the fans of the home team. ” It’s different [qu’en Suisse]. In Kloten there are songs for 60 minutes. There are big choirs like in soccer. But the fans here are fantastic,” said the 19-year-old.
Still, overall, Reinbacher looked good. He was even “excellent” according to his head coach. Flanked by Tobie Paquette-Bisson, the right-hander was involved, committed, intelligent in possession of the disc and even inclined to attack on a few occasions. He even ate minutes shorthanded during Belleville’s five penalties. Without impressing the gallery, he did what was necessary not to harm his team. And the Rocket escaped with a fifth straight victory against their fiercest section rivals.
” He [Houle] must love what I do. I don’t know what else to say. It’s the coach’s decision. I just try to do my job well,” Reinbacher responded about its use in critical moments of the match.
“For a young guy, he’s doing very well. The little ice cream doesn’t seem to affect him too much. I like it to go into the corners. It’s very important for a young defender to show that you are capable of playing physical,” added Houle.
Dobes stands
Jakub Dobes had a rather lame start at the start of the season.
But unlike Ti-Mé Paré at the helm of his talk show, he knew how to adapt.
The 22-year-old netminder started the campaign with a record of three wins in his first 13 games.
Friday night, in the middle of the playoff race, he turned away 35 of the 36 shots aimed at him.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Goalkeeper Jakub Dobes
A performance largely explaining why the Rocket have a four-point priority over the Senators and are only one point behind the Toronto Marlies.
“He started off shaky,” admitted Houle, “but he showed some promise in college. At rookie camp, he was excellent. He needed time to learn and we didn’t play well in front of him, we had holes. But it’s quite a comeback and it shows the kind of player he is. »
The main person concerned no longer wants to let his team down at this stage of the season and that is why he showed up for the match in his best spring outfit: “When you arrive in playoff mode, it There’s nothing more important than victory. I want to give my team the best chance of winning. »
Paquette-Bisson took no detours to explain why the Rocket had taken the victory: “Dobes did a terrible job for the rest of us! »
The race continues
Like the Senators, the Marlies and the Utica Comets also lost Friday night: “OK! That’s good news,” said Paquette-Bisson cheerfully when we told him in the locker room.
There are seven games left in the Rocket’s season, still in fifth position in the North division, the last one giving access to the playoffs. Of the lot, three will be played against these same Senators.
To get to the playoffs, the Rocket will first have to “play well defensively.” » According to Houle, his team allowed too many shots on goal. However, “when you can give just one goal, you have a chance to win. We want to continue on this. Defense is essential for us. It’s rare that we win a match 5-4. We’re not that kind of team. »
Then play with the same mindset of Dobes: “You can’t be satisfied. At least, it doesn’t have to be right away. We have to play well until the playoffs. »