Monsters 3-Rocket 1 | When nervousness takes over

(Laval) The goal of the American League being to train future NHL players, the Laval Rocket will have learned a good lesson on Sunday.

Posted at 6:03 p.m. Updated at 7:35 p.m.

While he had the opportunity to eliminate the Cleveland monsters and to go to the Northern division final, the Rocket played with nervousness, in his first game at the series, and banged towards a 3-1 defeat.

The nervousness was mainly felt at the start of the game, notes Laurent Dauphin. Taking out the washer from the defensive territory then proved to be a laborious exercise. “It was a new atmosphere for us. In Cleveland, we felt a little more in our bubble, ”notes Dauphin.

Really, the Rocket tried to create the perfect game in the offensive zone. Then, at the end of the match, he missed urgently. Coach Pascal Vincent believes that his players may have drew a little too much on their 2-0 lead in the series.

“We try to inform them, to educate them on this danger. I think you have to go through this adversity to understand it. We still have ten players who live their first professional series, ”he justifies.

The three goals of monsters were registered on disjointed games. On the last two, including one inscribed in numerical inferiority, the Laval defensive forgot to mark a player who was behind the action.

“We left players behind us even if we know they like to do this. It was a tight match that we lost because of one or two mistakes, “laments Laurent Dauphin.

The Rocket could have registered several goals, would not have been the brilliance of the opposing goalkeeper, Jett Greaves, who made the rain and the good weather in the Blue Jackets of Columbus, at the end of the season. He left only one of the 37 shots directed towards him, after a strange sequence, where the attempted clearance of defender Stanislav Svozil deviated behind the goal line.

“You have to give credit [à Greaves]it was very good tonight, but we have to place more players in front of him to block his sight, ”concedes Laurent Dauphin, to whom the only goal of the Rocket was credited.

Laval was unable to capitalize on four opportunities in digital advantage.

“We tried to create offensive that was not available. You had to be a little more patient, ”observes Pascal Vincent. “When you do this, you give energy to the other team. Our execution was not the same in Cleveland, we played more slowly. »»

Important changes

After 3 games, only members of the first trio of the Rocket have more than one point. The attack will have to come from other trios, otherwise, the team’s eliminatory course could be complicated.

Pascal Vincent may have discovered a solution of solution to this issue, by inserting Oliver Kapanen in his alignment. Whoever played a first match in the American League was unable to blacken the scoring sheet, but he obtained five shots, and as much chance of scoring quality.

“It’s a guy who is excellent, very intelligent on ice. I think we will form a very good line, we will just need a little time, ”compliments his trio companion Joshua Roy. The duo is completed by Owen Beck.

“I did not expect such competitive and rapid game,” admitted Oliver Kapanen, who, by his gaze, did not seem to expect that as many journalists from the Bonaventure station to that of Montmorency.

My chances did not succeed, but I was still able to play as I wanted, ”adds the one who is still looking for a first goal in North America.

The Rocket made another important change in his training: Jacob Fowler, goalkeeper leaving during the first two victories, gave way to Cayden Primeau.

The decision has something to make an eyebrow, since Fowler pushed 43 of the 45 shots directed towards him, during his two departures, even recording a laundering. On the other hand, the Rocket owes part of its regular season successes to Cayden Primeau. Following his demarcation of Canadians, the porter has accumulated a file of 21-2-2, an average of 1.96 and a rate of stops of, 927.

“It was very difficult decisions,” admits Pascal Vincent about the insertion of Kapanen and Primeau in alignment. “We had decided for a long time that if Primeau was available for us, he would play. »»

It remains to be seen if Vincent will return to the identity of his goalkeeper leaving on Tuesday, while the Rocket will have a second opportunity to eliminate the Monsters.

The Americans of Rochester await the winner of this series in the final of the North Division, after swept the crunch of Syracuse in three games.