Something feels different.
Call it chemistry. Call it team makeup. Call it prospect depth. Call it good coaching.
This Rocket team seems in synch, and last night, the Syracuse Crunch found out quickly that their northern neighbours will be tough to beat, as Laval prevailed 5-2 in its home opener.
Alex Barre-Boulet served notice that he has every intention of being called up again when injuries strike Montrwal’s forward units. He had two goals and two assists in a dominating performance on Laval’s “French Connection” line
Barre-Boulet and Joshua Roy have quickly found chemistry, especially on the power play. Both of Roy’s goals were with the man advantage, and Barre-Boulet found him for good scoring chances all night. Roy had six shots on goal, thanks mainly to smart feeds from Barre-Boulet.
This Rocket team is firing on all cylinders right now. Crisp passing, playing together as a team, hard work, and solid goaltending from Jakub Dobes made for a dominant performance that could easily have been a 6-1 victory despite the shot totals being even.
Dobes looks much more comfortable in Season Two than he did in the first month of his rookie pro season, and that will be a key to the Rocket staying in the race all season long. The Rocket surrendered 28 goals in the first six games of last season. This year, the Rocket have seven goals against them through three games, including an empty-netter.
Coach Pascal Vincent has done a good job of putting together lines that fit their roles. The French Connection, with Brandon Gignac centering Roy and Barre-Boulet, is a bona fide AHL first line.
New captain Condotta is a nice complement to Laurent Dauphin and Xavier Simoneau on a second unit with plenty of AHL experience. Simoneau pucked up a goal on a terrific backhand in tight off a rebound of a Gustav Lindstrom shot. The spunky 5-6 winger also scored a takedown in a spirited grappling match with Dylan Duke.
The bottom two lines feature five kids who bring plenty of energy.
Filip Mesar was comfortable playing pro hockey in Slovakia at 17 years of age, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that he has adapted quickly to the AHL. He has the speed, strength, and smarts to fit in with good players. If he had played the past two seasons with Owen Beck, the duo would undoubtedly have wreaked havoc on the OHL. Throw in a savvy player like Davidson, and you have a highly promising “Kid Line” that is off to a strong start. No points for the line last night and they were on for both goals against but they continue to create chances and forecheck with purpose. They will have those games where the stat sheet doesn’t look great due to their youth and inexperience.
Montreal recalled Logan Mailloux yesterday, and Lindstrom stepped into the lineup and played a steady match. The Rocket have enough depth this year up front and on the blueline to overcome callups.
Joel Perreault, Riley Kidney, and Sean Farrell may all have been highly regarded prospects at one point, but they have found themselves in the stands through the first three games, with the exception of Kidney, who played in Game 2.
That’s because Vincent’s fourth line is more suited to playing a physical role. It’s one of the main differences between this club and those coached by J.F. Houle and Joel Bouchard.
Mind you, it helps when you have players who can fill the role. Florian Xhekaj, centering Luke Tuch and Vincent Arseneau, is causing plenty of headaches for the opposition.
A prime example was Tuch driving hard to the net and getting directed into the goalie. A camera closeup revealed a black eye from his only pro fight as he patted the goalie on the head as an apology for his rambunctiousness.
Tuch had another outstanding game. He knows that his key to an NHL bottom-six role is to utilize his speed, size, and strength, and so far this season, he has done that quite effectively both in Montreal’s camp and with Laval. Xhekaj ended the game with five shots, in large part due to Tuch’s forechecking presence.
Adam Engstrom continued to display excellent puck skills when he carried the puck, and much like Tuch, his time in the AHL looks like it could be short. Engstrom had one ill-advised pass toward his own slot that Jared Davidson missed, ending up in the back of the net. Those plays will happen to any rookie pro, and aside from that, Engstrom has been solid.
After two periods, the Rocket deserved a better fate. They clearly outplayed the Crunch despite the even score and close shot totals. They came out flying in the third period and put the game away with their goals and an impressive all-around effort.
Laval’s next game is at 3 pm this afternoon versus the same Syracuse Crunch.
