(Utica) There are defeats in sport that are less embarrassing than others. The one suffered by the Laval Rocket on Saturday evening falls into this category.
In a difficult context, the Laval team offered honorable resistance but still lost 6-3 against the Utica Comets at the Adirondack Bank Center.
The final score does a poor job of summarizing the true nature of the match. After 49 minutes of play, the two clubs were deadlocked at 3-3. Exactly one second later, Timur Ibragimov broke the tie with his second goal of the match, after a Rocket error in his territory.
“(The match) was within our reach,” said head coach Jean-François Houle after the match.
“After the second period, we wanted to keep it simple and not try to chase the game. We wanted to let the game come to us because when it’s 3-3 on the road, that’s what you want to do. There was a turnaround that cost us, but we were there. When you’re on the road, it doesn’t have to be pretty to win. It’s flat because the effort was there,” added Houle.
Another star of this Comets victory was Quebecer Samuel Laberge, who collected a goal and two assists.
Shane Bowers also beat Strauss Mann, who blocked 26 pucks and was not to blame.
Filip Engaras and Santeri Hatakka added empty-net goals late in the third period.
In the defeat, Joel Armia and Nathan Légaré, both shorthanded, beat Isaac Poulter.
In addition to scoring two goals, the Rocket units closed the door on their rivals who played five times on the power play.
“The shorthanded players take their role really seriously,” remarked Légaré.
“Since the start of the season, quite a few of the same players have been on the units. We talk a lot, we have good video sessions with Martin Laperrière. We arrive at each match, we are ready, we remain alert to any eventuality. We are always ready because we do our work during the week,” added Légaré.
Defender Logan Mailloux, early in the second period, added his fourth of the season. Since November 1, in eight games, Mailloux has totaled two goals and five assists.
Armia added an assist while defenseman Jayden Struble, back with the team after a three-game suspension, had two assists for the Rocket, who directed 29 shots at Poulter.
The Rocket therefore completed a heavy sequence of five games in seven days with three wins and two losses.
“I’m still happy with the guys’ effort,” said Légaré. It’s not an excuse, but we were still tired. »
“Five games in seven days and with the road yesterday, we didn’t get a lot of sleep. I liked how the guys reacted. »
The Rocket will continue its long journey of six games away from home by playing two games against the Rochester Americans next Wednesday and Friday.
A stopover in Syracuse next Saturday also awaits Jean-François Houle’s men.
A respectable first twenty
When a team is playing a fifth game in seven nights, and that game starts at 7 p.m. and the players have arrived at their destination at 4 a.m., one wonders how they will perform in the first half and to what extent they will have energy.
However, the Laval team did relatively well, even if it fell by one goal after 20 minutes and had obtained half as many shots as its rivals – six against 12.
In fact, it was the Rocket who opened the scoring during a penalty to Jan Mysak when Armia completed a Struble play at 3:03.
Struble first won a fight for the puck along the boards on the left flank in his zone and managed to initiate a two-on-one push with Armia to his right.
After entering deep into the opposing zone, Struble made a precise pass to Armia who did not miss his chance.
Bowers tied the game about four minutes later, after a blunder by defender Mattias Norlinder deep in his territory.
Laberge then gave the Comets the lead with just under six minutes remaining in the opening thanks to a goal confirmed by video replay several tens of seconds after the puck had missed Mann.
Still inferior
Armia got her second point of the night just 37 seconds into the second period when Mailloux surprised Poulter with a shot from the right point.
The Laval team found a way to take the lead for the second time in the match, and again they did so short of a man.
This time, it was Légaré who scored this goal following a superb individual play.
Before the end of the period, Ibragimov brought both clubs back to the starting square by deflecting a Laberge shot.
Ibragimov did it again midway through the third period after a blunder by defender Brady Keeper deep in his territory.
Despite hard work, the Rocket players were unable to come back to score.
