Updated yesterday at 11:02 p.m.
Everything was there. The occasion was perfect. The Laval Rocket had invited its supporters to a great evening, but the Toronto Marlies were ruthless in winning 5 to 1 on Friday night.
It was the “Classique Québécoise” evening at Place Bell in Laval. For the occasion, the players wore a special uniform, dominated by the fleur-de-lis on a blue background. Of course, it was also an opportunity to pay tribute to Guy Lafleur, who died earlier the same day. Then, with a regulation-time win, the Rocket secured a playoff berth for the first time in club history. The icing on the cake, the match was sold out in front of nearly 10,000 supporters and the Kaïn group was present to offer a performance during the second intermission. However, the evening did not go off without a hitch.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, THE PRESS
The Rocket’s game against the Marlies was sold out.
This evening had however started well with a sensational entry of the players to the sound of the room The Boysfrom the film of the same name.
Then, the organization honored Guy Lafleur’s memory, just hours after the Habs legend passed away. A series of slides and an enumeration of his main feats of arms were shown in the amphitheater. Before the announcer finished his speech, fans started chanting the famous “Guy! Guy! Guy! “.
The spectators then observed 10 seconds of silence in memory of this legend of Sainte-Flanelle. The shouting started again and the table was set for this duel of great value, from all points of view.
A promising start
The game had started well for the Laval residents. To tell the truth, he had started very well. Two solid checks from Gabriel Bourque and Nate Schnarr set the tone for the game and lit up the spectators. As in an old Colosseum, fans were asking for more.
They nearly reached ecstasy early in the period, but Louie Delpedio, Cédric Paquette and Joël Teasdale took turns missing golden chances on special teams. Both in advantage and in numerical disadvantage. Jean-François Houle’s troupe had the upper hand in all aspects of the game.
The hosts finally found a way to materialize through Teasdale, who took advantage of a scrum and a return in front of the net to open the scoring. This was his 13and goal of the season.
The Rocket had the wind in its sails after 20 minutes of play and it was a party in the village. Everything seemed to fall into place.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, THE PRESS
The Rocket led 1-0 after the first period.
“We had a very good start, I really liked our first period. I think the score could have been different given all the chances and open nets we missed, but we didn’t capitalize,” explained head coach Jean-François Houle after the game.
This lack of “opportunism” actually hurt the local favorites in the second period. Joey Anderson took advantage of a defensive blunder from Gabriel Bourque to level the score in the middle of the second.
Minutes later, Richard Clune gave Toronto the lead following another defensive error by the Rocket. In wanting to grab the puck, Tobie Paquette-Bisson stumbled at the opposing blue league and the enigmatic Josh Ho-Sang took advantage of a two against one to power Clune wonderfully.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, THE PRESS
In the second period, a blunder by defender Tobie Paquette-Bisson (4) allowed the Marlies to take the lead.
Less than two minutes later, Philippe Myers put an end to what was left of the atmosphere at Place Bell by finding the back of the net following a fine maneuver in the offensive zone.
The Rocket was out of the game and neither were the fans.
[Les Marlies] took advantage of the momentum and they should be given credit. They have a very good team, they have a lot of talent and they are fast.
Jean-François Houle, head coach of the Rocket
The third period was also to the advantage of the Marlies, who are also still fighting for an invitation to the big spring ball.
Two unanswered goals from Nick Robertson and Pontus Holmberg gave the visitors an insurmountable four-goal lead, which spoiled the party.
Series will have to wait
The Rocket had a great chance to secure their playoff spot, but they couldn’t take it. The good news for Jean-François Houle’s troupe is that it will play Saturday in Syracuse.
Nevertheless, all the elements were in place to witness a great performance from the team, and captain Xavier Ouellet would have liked to be able to take advantage of it.
Pressure is part of the game, especially in a market like Montreal and Laval. It’s not an excuse, it’s the opposite. There was a lot of energy in the arena, it was fun, we just needed to exploit our missed chances.
Xavier Ouellet, captain of the Laval Rocket
For his part, the head coach wants to take one game at a time, even if the stakes are huge and the room for maneuver decreases with each game: “It’s like the fourth victory in a series, you have to win this match and it is very hard to win. »
Players who paid the price
In that loss, the Rocket still lost three players to injury.
Kevin Roy left the game after being hit in the face by an opponent. He fell on the ice and headed for the locker room leaving blood on the ice. Houle confirmed after the game that he had been sent to the hospital.
In the third, Cédric Paquette came into contact with an opponent to the right of the opposing goalkeeper. He remained stretched out on the ice for a few seconds, visibly in pain. He trudged back to his family’s locker room, limping, with a lower body injury. He returned for just a few appearances before leaving the game for good.
Then, ill, Gabriel Bourque was also unable to finish the meeting.