Rocket Regain Their Edge in Tight OT Win Over Crunch
After a tough stretch that saw them drop five of their last seven, the Laval Rocket came into Friday night’s matchup against the Syracuse Crunch with something to prove-and two points they couldn’t afford to leave on the table. Sitting just three points ahead of Syracuse in the North Division standings, this wasn’t just a game-it was a measuring stick. And when the dust settled, Laval walked away with a gritty 2-1 overtime win that might just be the jolt they needed.
Early Control, Early Reward
Laval wasted no time setting the tone. From the opening faceoff, they were the aggressors, dictating pace and keeping Syracuse hemmed in. That pressure paid off when defenseman Josh Jacobs jumped into the play and buried his first goal of the season, giving the Rocket an early 1-0 lead.
On the other end, Jacob Fowler stood tall in net. The young goaltender made a pair of sharp blocker saves on Jakob Pelletier to preserve the lead, and for most of the period, Laval had things locked down. Syracuse managed just three shots through the first 13 minutes and struggled to generate any sustained offensive zone time.
Josiah Didier thought he had doubled Laval’s lead midway through the period with a blast from the point, but the goal was waved off after officials ruled a kicking motion. Still, the Rocket were in control-until one miscue flipped the script.
A tough rebound off Fowler and a lapse in defensive coverage allowed Mitchell Chaffee to sneak in and tie the game with his 11th of the year, slipping one under Fowler’s pad. Just like that, a dominant period ended in a 1-1 deadlock.
Second Period: Missed Chances and Missed Connections
The second frame started with a Laval power play, but it was Syracuse that nearly capitalized, generating the best scoring chance while shorthanded. Laval’s power play unit struggled to get set, and the early momentum they’d built in the first started to fade.
But as the game got more physical and chippy, Laval found their footing again. They began to drive play with more consistency, forcing Syracuse into repeated icings and keeping the puck in the offensive zone. The execution wasn’t always clean-there were missed passes and a lack of finish in the slot-but the effort was there.
Owen Beck was a spark plug all night. His speed created multiple breakaway chances, and with just over nine minutes left in the second, he drew a penalty shot.
Beck made a slick move to get Crunch goalie Brandon Halverson down, but Halverson read it perfectly and shut the door. It was the third time Beck had been denied on a breakaway in the game’s first 30 minutes.
Laval’s second power play of the period had more bite. Florian Xhekaj got a couple of looks from the slot, but again, Halverson was up to the task.
The period ended with both teams trading penalties and some four-on-four action, but no one could break the deadlock. After 40 minutes, it was still 1-1-and both teams knew they were one bounce away from taking control.
Third Period: Defensive Grind and Goaltending Duel
Syracuse opened the third with 63 seconds remaining on a power play, but Fowler came up big again. His positioning was sharp, and he didn’t give the Crunch much to shoot at.
The period itself was a grind. Neither team could establish a consistent rhythm, and the physicality ramped up.
Laval started to tilt the ice midway through, sparked by a strong defensive play from William Trudeau that led to a rush the other way. Sean Farrell led the charge as the Rocket strung together a couple of strong shifts, keeping the puck in Syracuse’s end and generating quality looks.
The Crunch had their moments too, but most of their chances came on the rush. Laval, meanwhile, was doing the little things right-winning puck battles, staying tight defensively, and getting pucks to the net. By the 15-minute mark, the Rocket had nearly doubled Syracuse in shots, but Halverson continued to frustrate them.
In the final three minutes, Syracuse pushed hard. Fowler was forced to make several key saves in tight, and Halverson answered with a few of his own, including a flurry of stops in the dying seconds of regulation. This one was headed to overtime.
Overtime Heroics
Overtime started with fireworks. Beck had yet another golden chance, but Halverson once again flashed the glove and denied him. Then it was Dauphin’s turn to get robbed on a clean look just 30 seconds later.
But Laval wasn’t going to be denied forever.
Finally, Adam Engström took matters into his own hands. The defenseman made a slick move in the slot and snapped home the game-winner, ending the standoff and securing a hard-earned 2-1 victory for the Rocket.
What’s Next
With the win, Laval gets a bit of breathing room in the North Division standings. But there’s no time to rest.
They’ll be right back at it Saturday evening in Toronto, facing a Marlies team that’s hot on their heels. Another divisional tilt, another chance to make a statement.
Puck drops at 5:00 PM ET.