(Hartford) Despite an attempt to come back and sustained pressure at the end of the third period, the Laval Rocket suffered a second defeat in a row, 4-2 against the Hartford Wolf Pack, Saturday evening at the XL Center.
Posted at 10:16 p.m.
Abandoned by its numerical advantage, which was unable to produce despite six opportunities, the Rocket came within a goal of the Wolf Pack thanks to the second of the season from defenseman Zack Hayes, at 3:34 of the third period, and first from Sean Farrell, about 10 minutes later.
Defenseman Ben Harpur, with his second point of the game, confirmed the Wolf Pack’s victory by lodging the puck into an empty net from deep in his zone, at 19:54 of the third period.
Former Rocket Alex Belzile led the Wolf Pack attack with the eventual game-winning goal midway through the second period, and an assist.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
Alex Belzile
Adam Sykora, late in the first period, and Jake Leschyshyn, in the second period, scored the other goals for the Wolf Pack, which was limited to 21 shots.
Goaltender Dylan Garand played an important role in this victory by stopping 34 pucks.
The Wolf Pack also benefited from one of the least convincing performances this season from goalkeeper Connor Hughes, victim of three goals on 11 shots, in just over 31 minutes of action.
Luke Cavallin, who was his backup in the absence of Jakub Dobes, still inactive due to a lower-body injury, replaced him immediately after the Wolf Pack’s third goal. He blocked all nine pucks aimed at him in his first career game with the Rocket.
Injured, defender Joshua Jacobs did not finish the game for the Rocket. The nature of his injury was not specified.
The Rocket will return to action on Sunday afternoon when they visit the Bridgeport Islanders in a game scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.
Then, starting Friday, the Rocket will begin a sequence of six home games, including three against clubs in its section, which will extend until January 4.
Lost opportunities
In their first outing since a performance that frankly saddened head coach Pascal Vincent last Wednesday evening at home, the Rocket players started the game with confidence.
After a little more than three minutes, the Rocket had already attempted four shots towards Garand. He added two during a penalty to Matthew Robertson and another, in the middle of the period, while Leschyshyn spent two minutes in the penalty box for double checking.
An even better opportunity was offered to the Laval team when Matt Rempe, famous for the boxing fights in which he participated with the New York Rangers last year, went to visit the dungeon for four minutes for high stick.
Despite three more shots, the Rocket was once again unable to break the tie. The Wolf Pack would achieve the feat 41 seconds after the end of the double minor in Rempe thanks to Sykora, who beat Hughes on the Wolf Pack’s fourth shot of the period.
All those missed opportunities in the first period came back to haunt the Rocket in the middle period.
Where the Laval team failed during the first 20 minutes of play, the Wolf Pack succeeded. Only 10 seconds after the start of a penalty on Xavier Simoneau, Leschyshyn, stationed in front of the Hughes net, deflected a shot from Robertson at 9:24.
About two minutes later, Belzile added his ninth of the season – and ended Hughes’ night of work – scoring with a shot from the right wing, which possibly hit the stick of defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon, before make the ropes vibrate.
This three-goal deficit was going to be too big to erase.
