Coming off a gritty shootout win in Allentown the night before, the Laval Rocket rolled into Hershey on Sunday with some momentum-and a clear sense of identity. Head coach Pascal Vincent didn’t mess with a winning formula, keeping his forward lines and defensive pairings intact.
The only change? Between the pipes, where Kaapo Kähkönen got the nod after Jacob Fowler handled the crease duties in Saturday’s victory.
Early on, Laval found space in the offensive zone but couldn’t quite convert it into quality chances. Passes were a touch off, and Clay Stevenson, manning the net for the Hershey Bears, wasn’t facing much danger.
Then, on Hershey’s first real look, Louie Belpedio made it count. A long-range shot through traffic beat Kähkönen blocker-side-one he never saw-to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.
From there, the first period turned into a chess match. Hershey couldn’t find much room entering the Rocket zone, and Laval’s finishing touch continued to elude them.
Their best chance came off a heads-up play by Owen Beck, who intercepted a breakout pass to spark a two-on-one. Beck’s shot was kicked aside by Stevenson, and Joshua Roy couldn’t quite bury the rebound, sending it just wide of a yawning net.
Laval did draw the game’s first power play thanks to a determined drive by Tobie Bisson that drew a hooking call. But after Saturday’s strong showing with the man advantage, the Rocket couldn’t replicate that rhythm. The puck movement was sloppy, and they managed just one shot before Ilya Protas stepped out of the box.
Despite the power play struggles, Laval began to tilt the ice as the period wound down. They peppered Stevenson with shots, but the Bears’ goalie wasn’t giving up any second chances. After 20 minutes, the Rocket trailed 1-0, but the pressure was building.
That pressure carried over into the second. Laval came out firing, and Alex Belzile nearly tied it early with a dangerous look.
But just when it seemed like the Rocket were finding their groove, Beck was sent off for holding, putting Laval’s penalty kill to the test. This time, the unit delivered-tight, disciplined, and limiting Hershey to low-percentage looks from distance.
Then came the breakthrough.
Off an offensive-zone faceoff, Belzile corralled the puck and snapped off a heavy wrister that clanged off the crossbar and in. Just like that, the Rocket were on the board. And they weren’t done.
Less than a minute later, a broken play turned into a go-ahead goal. Sammy Blais worked the puck back to the point for David Reinbacher, who let a shot fly. It was blocked in front, but Marc Del Gaizo was in the right place at the right time, batting the rebound past Stevenson to give Laval a 2-1 lead.
The Rocket kept pressing and soon went back on the power play after Blais delivered a big hit that drew a retaliatory response. But once again, the man advantage faltered-and this time, it came back to bite them. Grant Cruikshank capitalized on a short-handed opportunity, tying the game and swinging momentum back to Hershey.
Still, Laval didn’t flinch. Late in the second, their fourth line stepped up.
Tyler Thorpe made a slick move through the slot before dishing a reverse pass to Luke Tuch, who wasted no time rifling a shot past Stevenson. It was a big-time finish from a depth line that gave Laval a 3-2 edge heading into the final frame.
In the third, Laval came out with a clear plan: defend with structure, frustrate Hershey’s transition game, and grind out the final 20 minutes. For a while, it worked.
But Sam Bitten’s speed cracked the Rocket’s defensive shell. As he drove wide, Laval’s coverage collapsed on him, leaving Cruikshank all alone in front to bury a rebound and tie the game once again.
With just over 13 minutes left in regulation, Josiah Didier drew a slashing penalty, giving Laval a golden opportunity to retake the lead. But the power play woes continued. The Rocket couldn’t generate clean looks or second chances, falling to 0-for-4 on the night.
Fortunately for Laval, their 5-on-5 play was doing the heavy lifting. The trio of Lucas Condotta, Xavier Simoneau, and Blais was buzzing.
Their puck movement was crisp, and eventually it paid off. Simoneau slipped away from his coverage, cut through the slot, and buried his second goal of the season to give Laval a 4-3 lead.
From there, the Rocket locked it down. They clogged up the neutral zone, worked the puck deep, and made it tough for Hershey to get Stevenson off the ice for the extra attacker.
The Bears finally pulled their goalie with under a minute to play, but Laval’s defensive structure held firm. No clean looks.
No panic. Just a composed finish to a hard-earned win.
With the victory, the Rocket completed a weekend sweep through Pennsylvania-two wins, two different goaltenders, and a lineup that’s starting to show real cohesion. This wasn’t just a team finding ways to win. It was a team imposing its will, even when the game got messy.
And if they can keep that up, they’ll be a tough out for anyone in the AHL.