Playoffs at any level of hockey are a grueling routine, both physically and mentally on teams. The Laval Rocket entered Game 4 fighting for both as they watched to match the series with the Springfield Thunderbirds at Place Bell. Game 3 started well enough, but a four-goal night from Will Bitten put the Rocket down two games to one when the final horn sounded.
With an unbalanced loss looming over them, and some clear issues that need to be fixed, J.-F. Houle made his first big postseason changes. Joshua Roy and Peter Abbandonato scrambled in favor of returnees Gabriel Bourque and Devante Smith-Pelly. Houle hoped the veterans could help turn the physical battle upside down and allow the Rocket more space to operate the puck. Brandon Gignac, who was injured in the previous game, also came out for Game 4, and the Rocket opted to add another defender to Gianni Fairbrother’s form. Cayden Primeau was again in charge of the start, facing Joel Hofer.
The mood was tense as the game began, and it clearly affected the Rocket more than the Thunderbirds. Laval failed in his clearings, allowing Springfield to continue to create his chances while Primeau kept the fort. However, Mackenzie MacEachern made a disastrous appearance.
Things didn’t get any better for the Rocket after that, as Nate Schnarr was knocked up without a call, and the Thunderbirds took advantage of him being knocked down and offside. In the ensuing chaos around the Rocket net, Dakota Joshua was able to insert the disc into the bottom of the net to put Springfield for a pair early in the first period.
The second goal seemed to be the kick in the pants that the Rocket needed to take control of the game. They pushed a goal non-stop, but Hofer did well to deflect every opportunity that was thrown at him.
The pressure resulted in consecutive penalties. Danick Martel fired a shot from distance after 79 minutes, but the long shot couldn’t find the net for Springfield. But with three seconds to go, Louie Belpedio won a match, which was quickly given to Xavier Ouellet to shoot into the net. J.-S. Dea got a small piece of the shot to deflect it past Hofer to put Laval inside a goal with a split second by the end of the first.
The second period began with the Rocket feeling clearly that the momentum was shifting in their favor. While Hofer struggled on the first few occasions, it finally exploded when Cédric Paquette took the lead. Ouellet sent Paquette into the offensive zone with a header and the veteran flew his opponent before making a shot under Hofer’s glove to tie the game 2-2.
While Laval controlled the game, the Thunderbirds got back on their feet, not allowing the Rocket to move away. But the Springfield front line got a hold-up call against Belpedio with five and a half minutes to go, and again set up a crucial penalty for the Rocket. As all the series had done, the penalty shooters frustrated and blocked the game. Springfield man advantage.
With Belpedio free from the box, Laval returned to work trying to break the deadlock. As the last few seconds passed, Dea and Danick Martel almost got another ringer, but Hofer put his pad on the post to seal a last-minute chance.
The third period began with the departure of the Rocket and chasing the Thunderbirds in all three areas while looking for a third goal. They came close when Alex Belzile and Martel occasionally threw themselves into the net, but Hofer denied them both for keeping the match level. Then it was Nate Schnarr who freed himself to throw a pass into the slot for Jesse Ylönen, but the Finnish winger was just one step ahead of the record and could not get much power in his opportunity in the fold.
After that point, it was a relentless action back and forth, as both sides fought for every inch of ice they could find. The Rocket had taken over the role as the more physical side, as Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Tobie Paquette-Bisson threw thunderous chess along the boards. The two goalkeepers have not had many stops to make, but they have been quick to glove anything that was presented to them.
With just under four minutes to go, the referee’s whistle was blown again, sending Paquette into the area to cut, and putting Rocket’s penalty back on the ice at a crucial point. Two wild minutes followed, marked by two short chances for the Rocket, and then Bitten somehow found himself on a breakaway that Primeau had to close the door hard.
Thanks to Primeau’s late heroism and the death penalty, the Rockets found themselves heading back into overtime, hoping to balance the series.
The overtime did not start well for them, as the Thunderbirds kept them locked in their own area and seemed ready to score at any time. Although Laval struggled to keep the records away from Primeau, they were able to eliminate them far enough away to survive the onslaught.
This survival set the stage for the young Rocket leader and a pair of cunning vets to steal the show and snatch a victory in Springfield. Belzile charged deep into the offensive zone, and when he was behind the net he turned and threw a pass to Sami Niku. Defender enamel gave a break to Rafaël Harvey-Pinard in the slot, and the young striker walked away from the net before throwing it through Hofer to secure victory in game 4.
As the Rocket celebrated their victory, things got ugly when the Thunderbirds intervened in the celebration, starting a big fight that included Klim Kostin attacking Lucas Condotta and Joshua trying to reach Martel while the trades tried to get him off the ice.
Here is the full clip of AHL TV.
In the middle of it all is Dakota Joshua, who eventually throws a couple of blows at Danick Martel as he is forced to leave the ice. pic.twitter.com/t1qUNa8k6R
– Scott Matla (@scottmatla) June 11, 2022
In the post-match report, it appears that Hofer ignited everything he threw at someone, and there may be more discipline for the AHL post-season save percentage leader.
Final Result of Game 4: Laval 3, Springfield 2 (OT) Series: Draw 2-2
With temperaments clearly above a boiling point, and the referees seeming to do little to refresh them, tonight’s game 5 is sure to be a difficult topic.