Rocket Show Flashes of Dominance, But Fall Short Again in Shootout Loss to Moose
Friday night at Place Bell had all the makings of a special one. The Laval Rocket hosted the Manitoba Moose in an all-Canadian clash, and the team used the moment to honor its roots, donning throwback jerseys in tribute to the legendary Maurice “Rocket” Richard. The energy in the building was electric, and the lineup got a jolt of its own with the return of Joshua Roy from injury and the arrival of Owen Beck, freshly reassigned from the NHL.
Roy and Beck slotted in on the second line alongside Jared Davidson, forming a trio that wasted no time making their presence felt. That move shuffled the deck a bit-Filip Mesar found himself on the fourth line, while Florian Xhekaj moved up to join Lucas Condotta and Luke Tuch. On the blue line, David Reinbacher was reunited with Adam Engström on the top pair, and Kaapo Kähkönen once again got the nod in net.
Fast Start, Familiar Frustrations
After a string of slow starts in recent games, Laval came out flying. The revamped second line immediately went to work, pressing the Moose defense and generating a pair of early scoring chances. Roy and Beck both came close to opening the scoring, showing instant chemistry.
But it was the third line that broke the ice. Tuch initiated the play by dumping the puck into the corner, where Xhekaj won the foot race and quickly looked up to find Tuch cutting toward the net. The pass was sharp, the shot was quick, and after collecting his own rebound, Tuch buried it past Thomas Milic to give Laval a 1-0 lead.
That lead didn’t last long. A breakdown in the defensive zone gave Manitoba life.
Kale Clague sent a shot toward the slot, where Dylan Anhorn pounced on the loose puck and beat Kähkönen in tight. Just like that, it was 1-1.
Despite the setback, Laval didn’t take its foot off the gas. They controlled play for much of the first period, and their pressure eventually drew the game's first power play. The Rocket peppered Milic with shots, nearly sneaking one in off a deflection from Tyrel Bauer, but the Moose goaltender held firm.
Laval’s momentum was briefly interrupted by a retaliatory slash from Alex Belzile, but the penalty kill held strong, keeping the game even as the teams headed to the first intermission.
Second Period: All Effort, No Finish
The Rocket killed off the remainder of the penalty with ease to start the second, but their offensive rhythm cooled. Instead of sustained pressure, their chances turned into quick one-and-done rushes. A counterattack led to another Laval penalty, but again, the PK unit stepped up-this time allowing just a single shot on net before William Trudeau exited the box.
But discipline continued to be an issue. Belzile took another penalty, this time for tripping, putting Laval shorthanded once more.
Fortunately for the Rocket, Nikita Chibrikov was whistled for a cross-check, turning the action into a four-on-four. That opened up some space, and Trudeau nearly made the Moose pay-twice-dancing through defenders and forcing Milic into two tough saves.
As the period wore on, Laval’s frustration became more visible. They were dominating puck possession, piling up shots, and doing everything but scoring.
Roy’s hustle earned the Rocket another power play, but this time the man advantage sputtered. Instead of taking what the defense gave them, the Rocket tried to force plays that weren’t there.
The Moose bent but didn’t break, and despite being heavily outshot, they headed into the second intermission still tied 1-1.
Third Period: Laval Pushes, But Can't Break Through
The Rocket picked up right where they left off to start the third-controlling the puck, cycling deep in the offensive zone, and firing shots from every angle. But Milic, with help from some timely shot blocks, continued to frustrate Laval’s forwards.
Then came a momentum killer. Vincent Arseneau lined up Tyrel Bauer and delivered a hit from behind, drawing a two-minute boarding penalty. Laval’s penalty kill, which had been excellent all night, came through again, neutralizing the Moose power play and keeping the game level.
Manitoba started to find their legs in the back half of the period, gaining more possession and slowing the Rocket’s attack. But Laval got one last golden opportunity when Condotta was hauled down cutting to the net, sending the Rocket to a late power play.
Once again, though, Laval’s man advantage couldn’t cash in. They searched for the perfect play instead of taking the simple one, and the game headed to overtime.
Overtime & Shootout: Close, But Not Enough
Overtime was tense but uneventful. Laval managed the only shot on goal in the extra frame, but neither team could find a winner.
In the shootout, the Rocket came up empty. Belzile and Roy were both denied by Milic, while Chibrikov and Brad Lambert found twine for the Moose. Despite outshooting and outplaying Manitoba for long stretches, Laval came away with just a single point-and their third straight loss.
Final Thoughts
There’s no question the Rocket are doing a lot of things right. The return of Roy and the addition of Beck gave them a spark, the penalty kill was outstanding, and they controlled the puck for most of the night. But the inability to finish-especially on the power play-continues to haunt them.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the process is there. The effort, the structure, the chances-they’re all part of the recipe for winning hockey. But until Laval finds a way to turn dominance into goals, nights like this will keep ending in frustration.