The Rocket are soaring, but they can’t let their feet off the gas pedal.
The North is shaping up to be the AHL’s most competitive division. Five of the seven teams have winning percentages of .625 or higher.
What a difference a year makes, though. If they had gotten off to the same start as last season, the Rocket would already be planning April golf excursions.
Much of the credit goes to a tighter defensive structure and improved goaltending. Laval is in every game this season.
The Rocket lost six of their first ten games in 2023-23 by three goals or more. After 13 games in 2024-25, their biggest loss is by two.
The club is fourth in goals against average, with 30 goals allowed in 13 contests. Last year, that total was almost double, at 58.
So what’s been the difference?
It starts in goal. Jakub Dobes looks much more comfortable in his second pro season, and Connor Hughes may be the best backup in the AHL so far.
They have been ably aided by an improved defence core. Mailloux is much improved in his own end and Adam Engstrom has stepped in and played remarkably well as an AzhL rookie. They form one of the top defence tandems in the league.
Tyler Wotherspoon has been a steady presence on the second pairing, forming a veteran pairing with Gustav Lindstrom. They aren’t fancy, but they’re effective.
Twenty months ago, William Trudeau was Laval’s best defenceman. Today, he is playing on the third pairing. That gives you an indication of how much better the group is as a whole. Josh Jacobs and Zack Hayes have slowed fit in nicely, and when Reinbacher returns, Laval’s defence group may be the envy of the league.
The first line ain’t half bad, either. Brandon Gignac centering Joshua Roy and Alex Barre-Boulet gives Laval the AHL version of the French Connection. Speed skill and high hockey IQ make them a dangerous trio on a nightly basis.
Owen Beck has stepped into pro hockey and has not missed a beat. He already looks like one of the AHL’s top two-way centers, and his defensive game, in particular, has been impressive.
After starting his pro career with five goals in his first 26 games, Jared Davidson has notched 12 in his last 22. He has quietly turned into one of the top prospects in the Canadiens organization.
Florian Xhekaj and Luke Tuch have provided the club with two big, physical pieces on an energy line, and when you add in Vince Arseneau’s toughness, that’s a line that keeps other teams honest.
Laurent Dauphin is a longtime vet who can be plugged into any role and position, and Xavier Simoneau thinks he’s 6-3. Captain Lucas Condotta is in Montreal right now but likely to return when Patrik Laine gets into Montreal’s lineup.
It’s a nice mix made all the better by a coaching staff that has everyone buying in and playing the system. As a result, the Rocket find themselves with the best winning percentage in the entire league (.842).
There is no time to rest on their laurels. A multi-game losing streak could see them slide back-to-back to fourth or fifth place in a hurry, so they must keep the monumental going. Next up is a rematch this afternoon with a tough Rochester club that Laval edged 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday.
