2018-19 Laval Rocket & ECHL Thread

[Adam Michaels]

Seth Griggith: Save
Audette: Goal
Logan Shaw: Miss
Belzile: Save
Jansen Harkins: Save


Laval wins it 6-5 in the SO.

 

[Tyson]

Nice to see Laval with a gutsy win.

Evans with 2 assists. The youngster has a very respectable 23 points in 39 games in his rookie season

 

[Adam Michaels]

With the AHL Freeview tonight, I decided to give Scherbak a watch. Ontario is losing 4-3 against Stockton Heat (Calgary's AHL affiliate). It's a game with a few former Habs playing (Scherbak and Budaj for Ontario vs. Rychel and Valiev for Stockton). Fun little fact: Valiev and Rychel were the two prospects that came to Habs in the Plekanec trade. The two have been playing together for a few seasons together, but on three separate organizations (Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary).

 

[Adam Michaels]

Nice to see Laval with a gutsy win.

Evans with 2 assists. The youngster has a very respectable 23 points in 39 games in his rookie season

And he does a lot of good things that you can't gauge on a score sheet.

 

[Bacchus1]

With the AHL Freeview tonight, I decided to give Scherbak a watch. Ontario is losing 4-3 against Stockton Heat (Calgary's AHL affiliate). It's a game with a few former Habs playing (Scherbak and Budaj for Ontario vs. Rychel and Valiev for Stockton). Fun little fact: Valiev and Rychel were the two prospects that came to Habs in the Plekanec trade. The two have been playing together for a few seasons together, but on three separate organizations (Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary).

And how was Sherby playing?

 

[Adam Michaels]

And how was Sherby playing?

I watched about 10 minutes as I wanted to watch a few other AHL games. He didn't stand out. He did get one good look in front of the net, but the goalie made the save. Other than that part, nothing of note. In those 10 minutes, he looked nothing like the player who was a dominating presence every time he was on the ice for Laval.

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[canadiensnation]

Nice pass from Evans here.

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

Sounds like Audette had a good game. How is he doing? Who are the best prospects on Laval?

 

[angry pirate]

Sounds like Audette had a good game. How is he doing? Who are the best prospects on Laval?

Fleury and Lindgren probably have the most NHL upside with Evans maybe sneaking in closely behind. Vejdemo, McCarron, and Sklenicka probably round out the list of guys who might become regular NHL depth.

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

Fleury and Lindgren probably have the most NHL upside with Evans maybe sneaking in closely behind. Vejdemo, McCarron, and Sklenicka probably round out the list of guys who might become regular NHL depth.

I liked Vejdemo's speed in pre-season - does he still have a good pace to his game?

 

[1909]

I liked Vejdemo's speed in pre-season - does he still have a good pace to his game?

Vejdemo will be 23 soon. I thought he was younger.

 

[montreal]

Sounds like Audette had a good game. How is he doing? Who are the best prospects on Laval?

Audette has been much better after a slow start where he looked like shit. Bouchard didn't seem to be a fan, as he was a healthy scratch but guess he got the message as he started playing better and now has a regular spot in the top 9. Still not a fan though and don't think he'll be re-signed.

Fleury, Evans and Lindgren as the best prospects, McCarron, Vejdemo could make it as depth guys perhaps. McCarron just needs to keep improving, Vejdemo needs more consistency but has all the physical tools of skating, speed, size, he's solid at both ends but struggles to put it all together.

I still hold out hope for McNiven but he'll likely need a few years in the AHL still. I like Verbeek in that he's got impressive speed, and the effort is there but he may never be more then an AHLer but could see him getting a cup of coffee down the road maybe. Sklenicka I've liked more then Moravcik since the start and Bouchard seems to as well as he's been a regular all year for the most part while Moravcik struggles to get into the lineup.

 

[1909]

Does Audette has the same skating speed as his dad Donald ?

 

[montreal]

Does Audette has the same skating speed as his dad Donald ?

Audette has good speed, been a lot time since I remember watching his dad.

 

[CheldishGamibno]

NHL type goal here by Froese from a great pass by Belzile shorthanded

 

[Gabe84]

I just came back from Place Bell, here are my thoughts from tonight's win against the Senators:

Audette is back to playing hockey. Bouchard completely turned his game around. I was harsh on Audette earlier this season and I didn't understand at all why Bouchard kept him in the line-up. Patience paid off. Tonight, everything looked easy offensively for him. He looked very skilled and smart. But most of all : he talks a lot to his teammate. Quite a few times, I saw him and Belzile exchanging words about the previous play. They have developped great chemistry together. At one point, Audette made a defensive mistake that was saved by his goalie. He went to Lacouvee to thank him. Gave him a little pat on the back. Huge change of attitude. Also, he was used late in the game to protect the lead.

Evans had a big game too. He's very smart on the power play. Surprisingly, he spends a lot of minute on the PK as well. Bouchard wants to develop him and he's managing his role very well. I like it! I'm still not really sure what are Evans best assets. He controls the puck well, but is it well enough? Not sure. His shot isn't that great. He has a pretty good hockey IQ. He skates well. But nothing really stands out yet. Yet, he's still early in his professional career so he has plenty of time to develop. He's not used to the heavy schedule of the AHL and still, he looks good in January. That's positive.

Alzner is another positive for me. Not a great game for him tonight. He was beaten on the 2nd goal and didn't look good. But his attitude is a great thing for the Rocket. He's a good leader in the locker room and it shows. He's constantly talking to his teammate. He looks happy even if the situation isn't easy. His salary is not ideal but he can still play a role in this organisation.

Another standout tonight was Phelix Martineau. He's on the shorter side but he's large and he's hard to play against. Him and Waked were really annoying tonight. He's really starting to grow on me.

It wasn't Lacouvee's best game but his story is very inspiring. The guys are playing solid defensive hockey and he's bailing them out when necessary. He has a very calming presence and he keeps things simple. He also looks pretty big in front of his net.

Other good performances tonight:
-Belzile (he's always good)
-Froese : solid two way game, dangerous in the offensive zone
-Grenier : a bit slow but he uses his frame well to control the puck
-Alexandre Alain : Holy shit what a snipe on the PP. I had no idea he could shoot like that.
-Ouellet : smooth skating, great shot, smart defensive plays. He looks too good for the league.

Meh:
-Fleury, didn't really stand out
-Vejdemo : he's my guy in Laval but not his best game
-Jevpalovs : homer alert, I really love this guy. Not a great game tonight but showed some flashes

Bad / disappointing :
-Shinkaruk : his performances are so uneven
-Lernout : I really want him to succeed but he still makes too many boneheaded plays
-
​

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I just came back from Place Bell, here are my thoughts from tonight's win against the Senators:

Audette is back to playing hockey. Bouchard completely turned his game around. I was harsh on Audette earlier this season and I didn't understand at all why Bouchard kept him in the line-up. Patience paid off. Tonight, everything looked easy offensively for him. He looked very skilled and smart. But most of all : he talks a lot to his teammate. Quite a few times, I saw him and Belzile exchanging words about the previous play. They have developped great chemistry together. At one point, Audette made a defensive mistake that was saved by his goalie. He went to Lacouvee to thank him. Gave him a little pat on the back. Huge change of attitude. Also, he was used late in the game to protect the lead.

Evans had a big game too. He's very smart on the power play. Surprisingly, he spends a lot of minute on the PK as well. Bouchard wants to develop him and he's managing his role very well. I like it! I'm still not really sure what are Evans best assets. He controls the puck well, but is it well enough? Not sure. His shot isn't that great. He has a pretty good hockey IQ. He skates well. But nothing really stands out yet. Yet, he's still early in his professional career so he has plenty of time to develop. He's not used to the heavy schedule of the AHL and still, he looks good in January. That's positive.

Alzner is another positive for me. Not a great game for him tonight. He was beaten on the 2nd goal and didn't look good. But his attitude is a great thing for the Rocket. He's a good leader in the locker room and it shows. He's constantly talking to his teammate. He looks happy even if the situation isn't easy. His salary is not ideal but he can still play a role in this organisation.

Another standout tonight was Phelix Martineau. He's on the shorter side but he's large and he's hard to play against. Him and Waked were really annoying tonight. He's really starting to grow on me.

It wasn't Lacouvee's best game but his story is very inspiring. The guys are playing solid defensive hockey and he's bailing them out when necessary. He has a very calming presence and he keeps things simple. He also looks pretty big in front of his net.

Other good performances tonight:
-Belzile (he's always good)
-Froese : solid two way game, dangerous in the offensive zone
-Grenier : a bit slow but he uses his frame well to control the puck
-Alexandre Alain : Holy **** what a snipe on the PP. I had no idea he could shoot like that.
-Ouellet : smooth skating, great shot, smart defensive plays. He looks too good for the league.

Meh:
-Fleury, didn't really stand out
-Vejdemo : he's my guy in Laval but not his best game
-Jevpalovs : homer alert, I really love this guy. Not a great game tonight but showed some flashes

Bad / disappointing :
-Shinkaruk : his performances are so uneven
-Lernout : I really want him to succeed but he still makes too many boneheaded plays
-
​

great report, thanks! Any hope for Audette?

 

[Adam Michaels]

I just came back from Place Bell, here are my thoughts from tonight's win against the Senators:

Audette is back to playing hockey. Bouchard completely turned his game around. I was harsh on Audette earlier this season and I didn't understand at all why Bouchard kept him in the line-up. Patience paid off. Tonight, everything looked easy offensively for him. He looked very skilled and smart. But most of all : he talks a lot to his teammate. Quite a few times, I saw him and Belzile exchanging words about the previous play. They have developped great chemistry together. At one point, Audette made a defensive mistake that was saved by his goalie. He went to Lacouvee to thank him. Gave him a little pat on the back. Huge change of attitude. Also, he was used late in the game to protect the lead.

Evans had a big game too. He's very smart on the power play. Surprisingly, he spends a lot of minute on the PK as well. Bouchard wants to develop him and he's managing his role very well. I like it! I'm still not really sure what are Evans best assets. He controls the puck well, but is it well enough? Not sure. His shot isn't that great. He has a pretty good hockey IQ. He skates well. But nothing really stands out yet. Yet, he's still early in his professional career so he has plenty of time to develop. He's not used to the heavy schedule of the AHL and still, he looks good in January. That's positive.

Alzner is another positive for me. Not a great game for him tonight. He was beaten on the 2nd goal and didn't look good. But his attitude is a great thing for the Rocket. He's a good leader in the locker room and it shows. He's constantly talking to his teammate. He looks happy even if the situation isn't easy. His salary is not ideal but he can still play a role in this organisation.

Another standout tonight was Phelix Martineau. He's on the shorter side but he's large and he's hard to play against. Him and Waked were really annoying tonight. He's really starting to grow on me.

It wasn't Lacouvee's best game but his story is very inspiring. The guys are playing solid defensive hockey and he's bailing them out when necessary. He has a very calming presence and he keeps things simple. He also looks pretty big in front of his net.

Other good performances tonight:
-Belzile (he's always good)
-Froese : solid two way game, dangerous in the offensive zone
-Grenier : a bit slow but he uses his frame well to control the puck
-Alexandre Alain : Holy **** what a snipe on the PP. I had no idea he could shoot like that.
-Ouellet : smooth skating, great shot, smart defensive plays. He looks too good for the league.

Meh:
-Fleury, didn't really stand out
-Vejdemo : he's my guy in Laval but not his best game
-Jevpalovs : homer alert, I really love this guy. Not a great game tonight but showed some flashes

Bad / disappointing :
-Shinkaruk : his performances are so uneven
-Lernout : I really want him to succeed but he still makes too many boneheaded plays
-
​

Thanks for the live report.

I've like Martineau since they called him up from the ECHL.

As for Shinkaruk, while all season has been disappointing, last night in particular, I'd give him a pass since he just came back from injury.

Grenier is the biggest disappointment for me. You get moments you can see what he can bring. But most of the time, he's a non-factor.

I feel for Vejdemo last night because he was centering Shinkaruk and Grenier. I feel like Vejdemo has the most chemistry with Jevpalovs. I particularly like them both when they're on the PK.

 

[beowulf]

Interesting turn around for the team and especially that it is thanks in part to an unknown goalie who is 4-0 with a 1.76 gaa and .931 sv%.

 

[DAChampion]

Earlier in the season, the more serious watchers here were saying that the Rocket were losing in spite of playing well, due to bad luck. It's ok to say that, and it's kind of a scientific statement, as the statement implicitly predicts that the losing eventually stops.

As far as I can tell, the losing has stopped. The team is playing a lot better. But I don't know how much of that is due to less bad luck, and how much of that is due to the additions of Alzner, Schlemko, Ouellet, LeCouvee, etc.

 

[Schwang]

Is Juulsen out again?! Is Olofsson out again too?

 

[Adam Michaels]

Is Juulsen out again?! Is Olofsson out again too?

Juulsen is out. They haven't divulged the nature of the injury but Bouchard says it needs reevaluation.

As for Olofsson, he'll be out for long as he required shoulder surgery. So he should be back closer to the end of the season or miss the rest of the year.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Earlier in the season, the more serious watchers here were saying that the Rocket were losing in spite of playing well, due to bad luck. It's ok to say that, and it's kind of a scientific statement, as the statement implicitly predicts that the losing eventually stops.

As far as I can tell, the losing has stopped. The team is playing a lot better. But I don't know how much of that is due to less bad luck, and how much of that is due to the additions of Alzner, Schlemko, Ouellet, LeCouvee, etc.

The NHL defensemen coming in sure did help. But Laval was still among the best defensive teams in the league before Alzner, Ouellet, and them were sent to the AHL.

For me, it was a lack of familiarity to start the season. Almost the entire team, aside from a handful of players, were new, as was the coaching staff. So there was a lot of adjusting to start.

AHL teams always have turnover, as most players there are either signed to AHL contracts for 1 or 2 years. You get prospects in their ELC, and they may end up with the big club at some point. But in Laval's case it was extreme this season.

For me, this organization is finally getting their act together and putting into effect something that will help them long term.

 

[FrankMTL]

Anything more than AHL upside for Evans? I think with all the centers we have coming up, he may be on the outside looking in.